Immigration has been a major talking point and subject of debate over the last several years, with discussions ramping up since the start of 2025.
The subject was also a major focal point of KVOE’s Talk of Emporia Tuesday with Chase County Sheriff Jacob Welsh. The reason is that the Chase County Detention Center is a federally contracted facility, housing individuals for various purposes, including alleged undocumented immigrants being held by immigration officials.
Speaking to the sharp criticism that has been voiced for law enforcement agencies and detention centers across the nation, namely, the alleged mistreatment of supposedly illegal immigrants, Welsh says the Sheriff’s Office has come under fire at times, including a recent protest outside of the detention center. According to Welsh they have a steady stream of individuals coming through their doors on a daily basis for various reasons, including for alleged immigration violations.
National commentary on the subject has varied with some being staunch supporters of deportations and increasingly stringent immigration policies while others have been hyper critical of said policies as well as the work of law enforcement agencies and detention centers with many alleging mistreatment of individuals in said facilities, specifically those whose immigration status may be in question. Seeing and hearing these comments at the local level, Welsh says it is a disheartening trend, however, he noted that he and his staff “Knows what goes on in our facility” adding that proper respect and care for anyone who passes through their doors, regardless of their alleged crime or violations is their number one priority.
In response to a call for greater oversight of Federal detention centers, Welsh says he understands those desires, but noted that there is already a tremendous amount of oversight, speaking specifically to the various inspections and standards to which they are held as a federally contracted facility.
Speaking specifically to immigration policy, namely the sharp focus placed on deportations by the current presidential administration over the past year, Welsh said it is his personal opinion that while there are circumstances where deportation is necessary, he believes there should be equal amounts of attention placed on naturalization.
On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Wednesday, Kansas Spanish Speakers CEO LeLan Dains highlighted work already underway in Nebraska, whether in the state’s largest city of Omaha or in much smaller communities like Lexington, a city with a population around 10,000. Dains says contacts for Emporia Spanish Speakers, the local foundation for the now-regional effort, increased substantially this year versus last with over 800 interactions so far this year. Part of that was due to having a brick-and-mortar office location alongside Southeast KansasWorks inside the Humanitarian Center, but part of that has also been due to political changes and a stated emphasis on deporting illegal immigrants — although several legal residents have been deported as part of that effort. Dains says the local views on immigration does not match the national political climate, at least not through his experience.
Dains says city leadership would like to see some town halls as a way to connect with Spanish-speaking residents, but people are understandably concerned about current political trends. With that in mind, Kansas Spanish Speakers is still making connections but in different ways.
Regardless of location, Dains says Kansas Spanish Speakers is focused on bridging divides, not creating them.
In Nebraska and other states, Dains says Kansas Spanish Speakers is adjusting its focus depending on the interacting group, whether it’s a church group, nonprofit, healthcare or local government entity. It also continues its Un Milion de Amigos fundraising campaign to expand its reach across Kansas and to add other nearby states. Locally, Emporia Spanish Speakers is getting ready for several community events including its latest Vamos a Explorar at the Jones Aquatic Center on July 19 and a Loteria — a game similar to bingo — on July 25 at the Emporia Arts Center.
