Peter Loganbill, Collegian news editor: “When you were running for governor, I remember you spent a lot of time talking about immigration … The question for me was why did you spend so much time on a national issue like that when you were running for something at the state level?”
Kris Kobach, U.S. Senate candidate, former gubernatorial candidate and former Kansas secretary of state: “Yes. Well, part of it is that, you know, I’ve devoted the last two decades of my career to fighting illegal immigration, and it is a federal issue. There are some ways in which states can help the federal government by decreasing incentives, like public benefits that the Kansas government is giving to illegal aliens. So I thought we could, you know, do some things to also prohibit sanctuary cities in Kansas. So there are some some things that could have been done and I think should be done at the state level. But you’re absolutely right, that the vast majority of work on immigration, and the vast majority of effort to stop illegal immigration has to happen at the federal level.”
Loganbill: “[Former K-State President Jon Wefald] called Pat Roberts the real MVP of the school. It was pretty funny, and he said that Pat Roberts just did a lot, a lot of help in securing federal funding for the school. Do you think, are you going to work to have that type of relationship here?”
Kobach: “Absolutely. I mean, you know, KU and K-State are great institutions.”
Loganbill: “Well, one’s better right?”
Kobach: “Well, of course, but the U.S. senator from Kansas should have a good relationship with the president of the universities in Kansas to make sure that our universities are absolutely, you know, seen for what they are, which are real gems, especially in the Midwest region, of great higher education institutions. And when there are federal grants, when there are projects, where K-State can be vying for that project, if the U.S. senator can do something to help move the ball then absolutely.”
Interested in learning more about Kris Kobach in this Q&A? Check out the “Collegian Kultivate” podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
