Kansas City Mayor Invites Illegal Aliens to Fill Jobs
FAIR Take | April 2024
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas recently took to social media to announce his intention to bring illegal aliens to Missouri. Since the sanctuary cities of New York City and Denver are now overwhelmed with illegal aliens, Mayor Lucas is now inviting them to come to Kansas City to alleviate “the worker shortage” in his city.
The mayor’s actions have generated serious pushback in Missouri. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued a letter lambasting Mayor Lucas. “[A]gainst the backdrop of literally millions of illegal aliens flooding our borders, overwhelming the social safety net of large American cities, in some cases even committing violent crimes against our citizens,” said the Attorney General, “[Mayor Lucas] is actively encouraging them to come to the Show Me State.” Attorney General Bailey called the program funneling aliens into the nation inherently illegal and said that rather than undermining the rule of law, Mayor Lucas should instead “seek to defend it and protect Missourians.”
Further, commissioners of neighboring Clay and Platte counties, Jerry Nolte and Scott Fricker, released a joint statement asking Mayor Lucas to withdraw his offer. The officials also urged him to move Councilman Nathan Willett’s anti-sanctuary resolution (titled “Affirming to the Missouri State Legislature that Kansas City will not become a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants”) out of committee for a full vote. The resolution has thus far been held off the docket and not voted on.
Although adamantly insisting that Kansas City is not a sanctuary for illegal aliens, Mayor Lucas’s initiative to recruit illegal aliens will ensure that it is a de-facto sanctuary city. Kansas City provides IDs to illegal aliens, making it easier for them to receive state benefits. And, under city ordinance, Kansas City Police will not detain an alien if no other charges exist.
The Mayor has also said the city will need to devote additional taxpayer dollars towards housing, language services, and integration – not to mention the resources needed for education, healthcare, public safety and other public services. According to FAIR research, illegal immigration cost Missouri taxpayers over $462.4 million in 2023, or $4,446 per illegal alien in one year alone.
In protest of Mayor Lucas’s invitation to illegal aliens, Senate Republicans in the Missouri legislature have added anti-sanctuary provisions to the state’s $50 billion budget, which will be voted on next month. The inclusion, which targets Kansas City’s policies, forces municipalities operating as sanctuaries to repay state funds expended, including the interest accrued.
While Mayor Lucas attempted to later clarify his position to suggest that he was only talking about aliens who were “lawfully present,” the fact remains that he is attempting to entice illegal aliens to the city. Aliens who illegally cross the border and claim asylum are still illegal aliens until the government adjudicates their claims—and most asylum claims are not granted. In addition, aliens who are paroled into the U.S. still have no legal status, even though they may have work authorization.
In sum, Kansas City is treading a perilous path, one that jeopardizes the safety of Missourians and undermines the rule of law. Mayor Lucas should take notice of the turmoil experienced by other sanctuary cities and take steps to shield the state from the impacts of mass migration, rather than exacerbate them.