In the Dotte dispatch: Can ICE set up in KCK? Officials weigh ban
Editor’s note: The following is from this week’s In the Dotte newsletter, published weekly on Tuesdays. You can sign up here to get them delivered to your inbox.
Good morning, Wyandotte County!
As news of a potential federal immigration detention facility in Kansas City swirls, officials on both sides of the state line are trying to keep U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from escalating in the metro.
I’m Sofi Zeman, your guide through all things KCK. Welcome to our first edition of In The Dotte and thank you for being here.
Christian Ramirez, who represents Wyandotte County’s Third District on the Unified Government Board of Commissioners, said he plans to introduce an ordinance limiting special use permits on non-municipal detention centers until 2031.
The ordinance, which comes shortly after Kansas City officials across the state line approved a similar five-year moratorium, is specifically related to public concerns over increased activity among federal immigration enforcement in the metro, he said.
Kansas City officials’ move also followed reports of a potential ICE facility proposed in south KC.
Now, KCK wants to mirror that rule. Here’s what it would mean if KCK passed a moratorium on ICE detention centers.
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And, if you have questions about Wyandotte County or a tip about what else I should look into, please email me at szeman@kcstar.com.
Chiefs’ next home in KCK
🏟️ The Chiefs announced this morning that their new domed stadium in Kansas will be designed by a local architectural firm. Meet the two finalists.
💸 Wyandotte County has less than a month to decide if it’ll use residents’ sales tax dollars to continue funding public services or redirect the money to paying back $3 billion in stadium debt.
💷 The Unified Government has less than a month to consider whether a future Chiefs stadium should add to the millions it already pays for STAR bond projects every year.
Across the river
🧊 Kansas City officials are calling on ICE to “stop the chaos” after federal immigration officers killed a second Minneapolis resident over the weekend.
Sofi’s selects
🚙 KCK’s GM plant will begin production on a “next-generation” compact Buick model in 2028. But the plant’s union is still grappling with ongoing layoffs hitting 900 families.
⛄ Why are snow-covered streets seemingly worse in KCK following the metro’s first big winter storm of the year? Officials warned about slow plowing efforts for this one reason.
Thank you for reading. See ya back here next week!
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