Kansas House Bill 2350 takes effect July 1, defining the crimes of Human Smuggling and Aggravated Human Smuggling.
Because of vague wording in a couple sections of the bill, there have been concerns regarding how the law will be enforced and whether a simple act like giving someone a ride could get you in trouble.
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan wants to make sure people know how the WPD will operate.
“The Wichita police department will only intervene when elements of the crime of human smuggling are present, or when a citizen reports a crime of human smuggling,” says Sullivan. “Furthermore, I want to reiterate policy 514 of the WPD explicitly states officer will not initiate any action based solely on an individual’s immigration status. They will not ask for ID or documents to establish a person’s immigration status unless there is evidence some other crime has been committed. By outlining policy 514, the WPD aims to ensure that it’s actions are never driven solely by immigration status, but to ensure that all actions are centered on addressing criminal activity and maintaining public safety for all.”
Part of HB 2350 says human smuggling may be occurring when a person is “intentionally transporting, harboring or concealing an individual into or within Kansas when the person benefits financially or receives anything of value.” This led to concerns that some like giving someone a ride and getting gas money from them could get you in trouble.
“We have various agencies that are here providing support to undocumented persons, and certainly they’re not commuting any crime and they won’t be charged with doing so in the future, says Sullivan.” “Simply being given gas money for transporting someone to work, giving someone a dinner or place to stay, there’s no reason to have any concerns this law will be used in that way. ”
The intent of HB 2350 is to target the people exploiting individuals who were brought into the country illegally, not people trying to provide help.
Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says the Sheriff’s Office approach will be very similar to the WPD’s. Easter says the Sheriff’s Office does not have the ability to enforce federal immigration law, so they can also focus on the crime of human smuggling. This allows them to focus on crimes involving adults. Human trafficking laws have been on the books, but were mainly focused on underage victims.
Neither the WPD or Sheriff’s Office expects to see any change in policy when HB 2350 takes effect.
The full text of HB 2350 can be found below.
