Kansas
Kansas law enforcement agencies sign agreements for immigration enforcement
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Eighteen Kansas counties, including Sedgwick County, have signed agreements with ICE under the 287(g) program, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced Friday.
“We will find you, we will turn you over to ICE and you will be deported,” the KBI said about their agreement with ICE under the 287(g) program signed by 18 counties across the state.
In Sedgwick County, this takes the form of the warrant service model, meaning if the agency arrests a non-citizen, ICE has 48 hours to pick them up.
“If you are a registered offender and you are here illegally, you might as well leave now,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi.
Sarah Balderas, an immigration lawyer in Wichita, said currently it’s up to counties whether they want to sign an agreement with ICE, but the KBI could change this in the future.
“Law enforcement agencies are forced to be trained as ICE agents and to carry out ICE enforcement. That’s the worst-case scenario,” Balderas said.
Current enforcement practices
While it may be concerning for some to see local law enforcement working with ICE, lawyers like Balderas want to remind people these laws have always been in place and are just being enforced to a higher degree than Kansas has seen in the past.
“We’ve had that 48-hour ICE window for a very long time. And essentially, Sedgwick County is not calling ICE and saying, ‘Hey, we got someone. It’s public record,,” Balderas said.
Balderas said her firm has a good relationship with law enforcement because she wants her clients to be able to trust the police.
“We never want to live in a society where people who are here unlawfully are afraid to call the police,” she said.
Balderas added that Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter has previously made it clear that he doesn’t want Wichita’s law enforcement to act as ICE agents.
Copyright 2025 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
Kansas
Star lineup unveiled for FIFA Fan Festival in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With less than two months until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in cities across the country, KC2026 announced the lineup of artists expected to perform at the Kansas City FIFA Fan Festival.
From the Chainsmokers to Flo Rida to Kansas City legend Tech N9ne, fans can expect to see dozens of performances from top acts over the course of the 18-day event.
Here are some headline dates scheduled during the “world’s biggest football party,” according to KC2026:
- The Chainsmokers — June 13
- Flo Rida — June 19
- Cimafunk — June 20
- Gabby Barret — July 3
- The All-American Rejects — July 11
- Tech N9ne — June 12 and July 11
Several other performers will take to the stage outside of the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The list of artists can be found in the poster image provided below:
According to KC2026, all acts and dates are subject to change, and tickets to the event are already available on the KC2026 Fan Fest website.
General admission is free and open to the public; however, the organization is offering other packages to upgrade the experience. Here’s everything you need to know:
- General Admission — Free
- On a first-come, first-served basis
- Premium Garden Pass — $55
- Includes all the benefits of general admission, access to expedited entry lanes, exclusive standing-room viewing in the Premium Viewing Area, premium restrooms, a dedicated bar area and access to premium food options.
- Legacy Lounge Pass — $225
- The Legacy Lounge Pass includes all the benefits of the Premium Garden Pass with access to an air-conditioned lounge, a two-tiered viewing structure, all-inclusive food options, a premium beverage package, climate-controlled restrooms, unique photo opportunities with iconic Kansas City sports memorabilia and access into the Premium Viewing Area.
The FIFA Fan Festival will serve a maximum of 25,000 people daily and include KC match days, USMNT match days and the Fourth of July.
Fans can expect the stage at the event to be twice the size of Chappell Roan’s massive October 2025 concert, when she performed two sold-out shows on the lawn of the World War I Museum and Memorial to approximately 30,000 fans each night.
Over the course of the tournament, the festival will have themed days to get fans in the World Cup spirit. For a list of those themed events, click here.
For more information about the tournament, tune into Kansas City’s World Cup headquarters, FOX4 News, for the latest announcements before and during the historic summer event.
Kansas
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly urging lawmakers to be ‘honest’ about property tax relief ahead of 2026 election
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is sending a strong message to lawmakers, who she believes are making unrealistic promises to voters about property tax relief.
As the election season approaches, all 125 members of the Kansas House of Representatives are up for re-election. Property taxes continue to be a major issue for home and business owners in the state, and it’s an issue that many Kansas lawmakers focus their campaign on. This year, Kelly is warning lawmakers against this.
“Legislators are out there promising the moon to people when it comes to property taxes,” Kelly said. “The fact of the matter is that the state has very little control over property taxes.”
Currently, the state levies 20 mills of property tax to help support Kansas schools. All other property tax in the state is being imposed and collected by local governments. Kelly is hoping that lawmakers make that clear to voters while they run their campaigns.
“I hope on this campaign trail that candidates are honest about what they can really do, which is work with their local elected officials to come up with a resolution,” Kelly said.
Lawmakers attempted to pass legislation during the 2026 legislative session. The Kansas Senate favored a plan that would’ve placed a 3% cap on annual property value increases. The House of Representatives proposed a “rolling averages” plan, which would calculate a home’s taxable value based on the average of its market value over a set number of years.
Ultimately, neither of those plans went through. However, lawmakers did manage to pass HB 2043, a protest petition bill. It allows voters to push back on property tax increases if they go above 3%.
It now sits on Kelly’s desk waiting for her decision. She can either sign the bill or veto it. Kelly did not comment on where she stands on the bill today.
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.
Kansas
Man arrested in Riley County for fatal southwest Kansas crash
RILEY COUNTY—A man involved in a fatal southwest Kansas crash was arrested Tuesday in Riley County.
According to the Riley County Police Department activity reported, just before 5p.m. Tuesday 21-year-old Nicholas Ellis Biddle of Wichita, was arrested in the 1000 block of S. Seth Child Road on a Seward County District Court warrant for involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, maximum speed limits and failure to yield at a stop or yield sign.
In June of 2024,the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Chevy Silverado driven by Biddle was southbound on Road T at U.S. 160 in Seward County.
The driver failed to yield and struck a westbound 2017 Nissan Rogue driven by Jamee E. Perez, 42, Hugoton. After impact both vehicles rolled an unknown number of times before coming and came to rest in the ditch.
EMS transported Biddle and Perez to Southwest Medical in Liberal where Perez was pronounced deceased. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.
According to the Riley County Police Department, Biddle met the requirement of a $50,000 bond and is no longer confined in the Riley County Jail.
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