Adam Hamilton Slams ICE Operations in Kansas, Cites Impact on Families and Businesses

Kansas: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton has criticised recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in southwest Kansas, arguing that the federal immigration enforcement campaign is creating disruption for families, local communities and businesses.

Hamilton's remarks come as he campaigns for the U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent Roger Marshall ahead of the November 3, 2026, midterm elections. 

Hamilton's criticism of ICE operations

Hamilton said ICE operations in Kansas were causing what he described as “chaos for families, communities, and businesses” and called for both political parties to work together on long-term immigration reform.

He said federal agents had arrived in southwest Kansas without sufficient coordination with local officials or law enforcement. Hamilton also referred to reports of people being stopped and questioned and said some schools and businesses were taking precautionary measures because of uncertainty surrounding the enforcement activity. 

According to Hamilton, the situation was affecting communities including Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City. He also cited concerns raised by the Kansas livestock industry about potential effects on animal welfare, food processing and consumer prices. These points were part of Hamilton's criticism of the ongoing enforcement activity. 

Hamilton says immigration laws should still be enforced

Hamilton did not call for ICE to be abolished. During a recent Kansas Senate debate, he said he supported funding ICE for its intended purpose but argued that immigration enforcement should focus on public safety and be carried out humanely.

He also criticised what he described as a broadening of enforcement beyond people considered dangerous, while saying that immigration laws still need to be enforced. 

Hamilton has previously criticised immigration policies under both the Biden and Trump administrations. At a Kansas State Fair debate, he described the previous administration's border policy as a “disaster” while also arguing that the current crackdown had created a different set of problems. 

Kansas beef industry caught in immigration debate

The dispute comes amid concerns over the effect of immigration enforcement on Kansas' major beef industry.

A recent report cited by Hindustan Times said ICE activity had disrupted parts of the state's beef business, with concerns that immigrant workers were staying away from feedlots and slaughterhouses because of the possibility of arrest. The reported labour disruption has affected the movement and processing of cattle. 

Immigration and agricultural labour have consequently become important issues in the Kansas Senate campaign, with both Hamilton and Marshall discussing the impact of federal immigration policies on the state's farming and livestock sectors. 

Marshall and local officials also raise coordination concerns

Hamilton's criticism comes after Republican Senator Roger Marshall, his opponent in the Senate race, also called for greater coordination between ICE and local law enforcement.

Marshall said federal immigration operations in Kansas should be coordinated with local police and sheriffs, while Senator Jerry Moran separately said he had spoken with federal officials about the importance of working with local authorities during enforcement operations. 

The comments illustrate how ICE activity has become a prominent issue in the state's 2026 Senate contest.

A closely watched Senate race

Hamilton, a Kansas pastor and founder of the Church of the Resurrection, is challenging Marshall for his Senate seat. The race has attracted increased national attention because Democrats are seeking to compete in a state where Republicans have dominated Senate elections for decades. 

A September 15-16 Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey of 750 likely Kansas voters found 45% support for Hamilton and 43% for Marshall, with 4% backing Libertarian candidate David Graham and 8% undecided. The poll reported a credibility interval of ±3.6 percentage points. 

The latest controversy over ICE operations adds immigration enforcement, local coordination and the economic effects on Kansas businesses to the issues being debated in the Senate campaign.