University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

The urban public law school with a small liberal arts feel

Op Eds by Professor Kris Kobach New York Post July 20, 2010 ’Sanctuary’ is lawless and deadly     Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. The Justice Department's tolerance of sanctuary cities is not only lawless, it is dangerous. Cities that adopt sanctuary policies make themselves havens for alien crime networks. Thus, violent illegal-alien gangs like Mara Salvatrucha 13 prefer to operate in cities where the police can't report them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/sanctuary_is_lawless_and_deadly_MqUh3vZWrKm8qVs0jaFW0J#ixzz0uvBbb5L0 National Review June 7, 2010 Defending Arizona: Its Statute Will Withstand the Inevitable—and Already Begun—Challenges In Court     LA Times May 13, 2010 Kobach Interviewed: A Voice For Tough Immigration Laws     New York Times April 29, 2010 Why Arizona Drew a Line     Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. On Friday, Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a law — SB 1070 — that prohibits the harboring of illegal aliens and makes it a state crime for an alien to commit certain federal immigration crimes. It also requires police officers who, in the course of a traffic stop or other law-enforcement action, come to a “reasonable suspicion” that a person is an illegal alien verify the person’s immigration status with the federal government. New York Post April 15, 2010 Amnesty Poison Pill     Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. …the best way to build a constituency is to extend its benefits to as many people as possible. By setting aside the public-charge doctrine and allowing newly legalized aliens to become eligible for ObamaCare immediately, the amnesty would create 10.8 million new ObamaCare constituents, dependent upon Uncle Sam for free health care. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/amnesty_poison_pill_mkg0NlYeAZDCLWtwJhHnMJ New York Post Nov. 21, 2009 KSM trial: it's Obama's call     Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. President Obama has said it was Attorney General Eric Holder who decided to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind, and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees in civilian federal court in New York City. Yet, as a matter of law, that can't be true. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/ksm_trial_it_obama_call_qCVFkytic40EUO6kf107qL  New York Post Nov. 14, 2009 A Loss For America     Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees in civilian federal court in New York City is the latest in a long series of missteps in the war against radical Islamist terrorism. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/loss_for_america_nxkrr7XdjXIJ1ngqXVO8nL#ixzz0XEdOcnQi  New York Post Sept. 19, 2009 The Truth on Covering Illegals     Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. The House of Representatives has rebuked Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) for shouting out, "You lie!" during President Obama's speech to Congress last week. It was certainly a breach of decorum and House rules -- but it's well worth noting that Wilson had a substantial point….Until the bill is amended and SAVE verification is required, Wilson will be right and Obama will be wrong. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/the_truth_on_covering_illegals_zVyZJV3YCgk8P7lkyzFd7K  The Wichita Eagle Beacon Mar 3, 2009 Budget Woes Linked to How Justices Are Chosen     Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. Twenty-two states use some form of nominating commission. But Kansas has the most extreme version in the country. Only Kansas gives its lawyers the power to select a majority of the commission's members. This creates an institutional bias that favors more power for courts and more profit for attorneys. Moreover, the commission makes its decisions behind closed doors without any accountability to the public. http://www.kansas.com/781/story/718714.html New York Post Feb 13, 2008 The Immigration Answer    Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. To have any hope of reducing the number of illegals in this country, our next president must aim for attrition via enforcement. By requiring every US employer in the country to use E-Verify, and significantly ratcheting up enforcement (against all illegals), it is possible solve America's illegal-immigration problem. http://www.nypost.com/seven/02132008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/the_immigration_answer_97438.htm The Heritage Foundation September 13, 2007 A Sleeper Amnesty: Time to Wake Up from the DREAM Act    In addition to being a dream for those who have broken the law, the DREAM Act raises an even larger issue regarding the relationship between states and the federal government. The 10 states have created a 21st century version of the nullification move­ment—defying federal law simply because they do not like it. In so doing, they have challenged the basic structure of the republic. The DREAM Act would pardon this offense and, in so doing, encour­age states to defy other federal law in the future. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/bg2069.cfm Human Events August 6, 2007 A Judicial Setback for the Rule of Law    This situation makes it painfully clear that returning the rule of law to immigration will take more than a committed Congress and a President who is determined to enforce the law. It will also take judges who are willing to faithfully apply the laws that Congress passes and cities that are willing to reinforce, not undermine, federal law. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=21821 The Washington Times July 3, 2007 A Way Forward on Immigration    The Senate's comprehensive immigration bill died an inevitable death. It was inevitable because it included so many provisions that unjustly rewarded illegal behavior. If the Senate hadn't killed the bill, the House certainly would have. http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070703/EDITORIAL/107030013/1013 The Heritage Foundation June 26, 2007 The Senate Amnesty Bill: A Muddled Legal Morass    Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. Aside from the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens who would receive amnesty, the biggest beneficiaries of this legal morass are the immigration lawyers who would bill millions of dollars representing their clients as the cases drag on. That is not entirely surprising, because the American Immigration Lawyers Association reportedly played a central role in drafting the Senate bill. It is also a natural consequence when a bill is drafted behind closed doors and shielded from the normal process of committee scrutiny. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/wm1522.cfm The Washington Times June 22, 2007 A College Education For Illegal Aliens    Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. It's no secret that the Senate immigration bill rewards 12-20 million illegal aliens with immediate amnesty. What is less well known is that the bill also allows illegal aliens to receive in-state tuition rates at public universities, discriminating against U.S. citizens from out of state and law-abiding foreign students. http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070622/EDITORIAL/106220013/1013/EDITORIAL The Heritage Foundation June 19, 2007 The Senate Immigration Bill: A National Security Nightmare    Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. Supporters of the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill have revived it under the guise of national security. However, the new public relations campaign is a farce. The bill offers alien terrorists new pathways to obtain legal status, which will make it easier for them to carry out deadly attacks against American citizens. www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/wm1513.cfm The Washington Times June 7, 2007 A Wake-up Call For The Senate    Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. The revelation of the terrorist plot to bomb JFK Airport should be a jolting wake-up call to the U.S. Senate -- a reminder that …it is undeniable that our immigration policy is a central facet of our anti-terrorism policy. Virtually all of the terrorists targeting this country are aliens who need to be in the United States to carry out their attacks. Twenty-four hours simply isn’t enough time. It’s a terrorist fast track. Consequently, dozens of terrorists will receive amnesty if the bill becomes law. www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20070606-090318-7738r_page2.htm New York Post May 27, 2007 RX For Breakdown: How Immigration Bill Overloads    Bureaucracy & Endangers Security Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. The Immigration bill now before the Senate would triple the workload at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - an agency that the Government Accountability Office says is already at the breaking point. www.nypost.com/seven/05272007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/rx_for_breakdown_opedcolumnists_kris_w__kobach.htm The Heritage Foundation May 23, 2007 Rewarding Illegal Aliens: Senate Bill Undermines The Rule of Law     Author: Kris W. Kobach, D.Phil., J.D. and Matthew Spalding, Ph.D. The Senate's "Z" visa proposal would undermine the rule of law by granting massive benefits to those who have willfully violated U.S. laws, while denying those benefits to those who have played by the rules and sometimes even to U.S. citizens. www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/wm1468.cfm New York Post May 21 2007 Rewarding Lawbreakers    Author: Kris W. Kobach, D. Phil., J.D. The immigration bill set to hit the Senate floor this week will legalize most of the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens now in the country via a new "Z visa." But provisions buried in the fine print of the more than 300 pages are far more outrageous. www.nypost.com/seven/05212007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/rewarding_lawbreakers_opedcolumnists_kris_w__kobach.htm