Secretary of State Kris Kobach usually argues that states and cities have the authority to pass immigration-related laws. But Tuesday he contended that a bill to help qualifying illegal immigrants gain work privileges in Kansas would pre-empt the federal government’s jurisdiction over immigration. “A state cannot deport someone, and similarly a state cannot confer status upon an illegal person,” Kobach said at a House hearing. Others who testified, including former Kansas Agriculture Secretary Allie Devine, said that federal law allows states to sponsor workers.
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