The high cost of defending strict anti-immigration ordinances
In short: Kris Kobach has become a central figure in the legal battles over American immigration laws. While his efforts to defend strict local ordinances have faced significant setbacks in court, the financial consequences for the cities involved have been staggering, often leading to massive legal debts and even bankruptcy.
Kris Kobach, the current Attorney General of Kansas, rose to national prominence through his work on immigration policy. During his tenure as Kansas Secretary of State from 2011 to 2019, he became a prominent advocate for hardline measures. His legal work often involved defending cities and states that adopted ordinances designed to discourage illegal immigration, such as requirements for businesses to use the E-Verify system or restrictions on renting and employing undocumented individuals.
The financial toll of these legal battles has been immense for the municipalities involved. In one instance, the City of Farmers Branch, Texas, saw its legal costs for defending an anti-landlord ordinance reach $6.1 million by December 2014, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear its appeal. In Arizona, litigation surrounding the strict SB 1070 law resulted in the county incurring more than $56,000,000 in legal fees and associated costs.
Despite these heavy burdens on local governments, Kobach has personally profited from this litigation. Reports indicate that over a 13-year period, he earned more than $800,000 from legal work for the localities he defended. By January 2011, it was estimated that he had received $6.6 million from various jurisdictions for his role in defending or helping to create these ordinances. Notably, by August 2018, investigations revealed that none of the towns where Kobach helped enact such ordinances still had them on their books.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Kris Kobach
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