SB254 would have prohibited individuals unlawfully present in the United States from receiving state or local public benefits in Kansas, except those required by federal law. The bill also would have eliminated in-state tuition discounts for illegal aliens attending public colleges and universities. Applicants aged 18 or older would have been required to provide proof of lawful immigration status, with government agencies verifying eligibility through a federal database.

The Kansas State Senate passed SB254 on March 24, 2026 by a vote of 22 to 18. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because illegal aliens ought to be deported from the United States. They should not be given sanctuary or residency in Kansas or elsewhere in the country, let alone receive any federal, state, or local "public benefits." Moreover, taxation in the name of "social welfare" is neither just nor charitable, for both citizen and noncitizen alike. Rather than pursue blatantly anti-American policies that undermine the rule of law and erode the true privileges and value of citizenship, each of the several States should use its sovereign powers under the 10th Amendment to stop illegal migration and provide for the public safety.