Republican Senator Roger Marshall has called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to coordinate more closely with local police in southwest Kansas as federal operations continue in Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal.
Marshall said on 23 September that he was following the activity closely and had been in contact with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and local law enforcement.
The intervention followed complaints from officials in the three cities that they had not been notified in advance of the federal operations.
In a joint statement, local leaders said they understood the concern and uncertainty created by the ICE presence and stressed the importance of keeping residents informed. The cities said their local governing bodies and law enforcement agencies did not have operational information about the federal activity or authority over it.
Marshall did not call for ICE operations to stop. Instead, he focused on how federal agents should work with local authorities while carrying out warrants.
'When ICE operates in Kansas, it needs to coordinate with our local law enforcement. Our sheriffs and police know these communities better than anyone, and working together keeps officers and residents safe,' Marshall wrote on X.
When ICE operates in Kansas, it needs to coordinate with our local law enforcement. Our sheriffs and police know these communities better than anyone, and working together keeps officers and residents safe.
— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) September 23, 2026
I’m closely following what’s happening in SW Kansas and have been in…
He added: 'I'm closely following what's happening in SW Kansas and have been in direct contact with Secretary Mullin and local law enforcement as ICE executes warrants in order to keep Kansans safe.'
Roger Marshall Calls for ICE Coordination
The comments come as federal immigration enforcement remains a major issue for Republicans and Democrats alike.
President Donald Trump has made deportations and expanded immigration enforcement central parts of his administration's agenda, although some Republican lawmakers and candidates have recently expressed concerns about specific policies or operations.
Kansas' other Republican senator, Jerry Moran, has also called for coordination between federal and local authorities.
Moran said Mullin had assured him that the warrants were intended to target individuals charged with criminal activity. That description comes from Mullin's account to Moran and does not independently establish the circumstances of every operation in southwest Kansas.
ICE has not publicly released detailed information about the scope of the operations described in the region. The local governments said they were not given advance operational information and did not have authority over the federal activity.
That lack of information has become part of the political story surrounding Marshall, who is seeking another Senate term against Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton.
Kansas has a long Republican history in federal elections and has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932. The 2026 Senate race has nevertheless attracted increased attention, with Cook Political Report moving its rating to 'Lean Republican' on 23 September.
A separate Emerson College and Nexstar Media poll conducted on 15 and 16 September found Hamilton at 45% among 750 likely voters, compared with 43% for Marshall. David Graham received 4%, while 8% were undecided. The poll reported a margin of error of approximately 3.6 percentage points.
The result represents one survey rather than a prediction of the election. The figures are also close enough that the poll's margin of error is important when interpreting the difference between the candidates.
Kansas Senate Race Puts Immigration Under a Closer Spotlight
Hamilton is a megachurch pastor and first-time candidate who has campaigned as a moderate focused on lowering costs for Kansas residents. Vice President JD Vance also campaigned with Marshall in Kansas earlier this month, bringing additional national attention to the contest.
Immigration has particular relevance in parts of the state where federal enforcement is taking place. Foreign-born residents accounted for 7.4% of Kansas' population in the 2020–2024 period, according to US Census Bureau data.
The state's beef and meatpacking industries also employ large numbers of immigrant workers. The specific claim that foreign-born workers make up 44% of frontline meatpacking employees has been removed because the cited Government Accountability Office material did not substantiate that figure.
The Kansas developments also come amid public disagreements from some Republicans over aspects of the administration's immigration policy.
Florida Representative Maria Elvira Salazar said in a campaign advertisement that some of Trump's immigration enforcement efforts had 'gone too far', while warning that many immigrants in her district 'feel betrayed'.
Texas Representative Monica De La Cruz featured a DACA recipient she helped secure release from ICE custody in campaign material, with his wife describing the US immigration system as 'broken'.
Former Maine Governor Paul LePage, now a Republican congressional candidate, has also criticised an ICE action involving a member of his family, calling the situation 'not right'.
Those cases involve different circumstances and should not be treated as evidence of a unified Republican position. In Kansas, Marshall's criticism is narrower. He has backed the enforcement of federal warrants while asking ICE to coordinate with local authorities.
The immediate question for southwest Kansas is whether federal and local officials can establish the communication Marshall says is needed, and what information will emerge about the operations already underway.
