SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police have released more details surrounding the arrest of a man wanted in connection with the November shooting death of a 16-year-old Kansas boy.

On Friday, police asked the public for help to locate 20-year-old Nassir Tiriq Gill in connection with the November killing of 16-year-old Kingston Scott.

Late Monday, Topeka Police thanked members of the public for their assistance in providing information related to the crime and arrest. Police also thanked the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office.

 Just before 9p.m. Sunday, police booked 20-year-old&nbsp; Nassir Tiriq Gill into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to online jail records.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just before 1a.m. November 22, 2025,&nbsp; police responded to several reports of gunshots around SE 37th Street and SE Adams Street in Topeka. While officers were investigating that area, they received information on a subject arriving at a local hospital by private vehicle with apparent gunshot wounds. The victim later identified as Kingston Scott of Topeka was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;

As a result of the investigation police have already arrested two 16-year-old boys from Topeka on&nbsp;&nbsp;charges including murder, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle with great bodily harm and Aggravated Assault; Use of a deadly weapon.

&nbsp;Gill is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Murder in the 1st degree; In the commission of a felony. Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle w great bodily harm, Criminal discharge of firearm; Recklessly at occupied dwelling and Criminal damage to property; Without consent value &lt; $1000, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771847664741.png" alt="Gill photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Gill photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police have released more details surrounding the arrest of a man wanted in connection with the November shooting death of a 16-year-old Kansas boy.On Friday, police asked the public for help to locate 20-year-old Nassir Tiriq Gill in connection with the November killing of 16-year-old Kingston Scott.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764973228137.png" alt="Kingston Scott photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Kingston Scott photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>Late Monday, Topeka Police thanked members of the public for their assistance in providing information related to the crime and arrest. Police also thanked the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office. Just before 9p.m. Sunday, police booked 20-year-old&nbsp; Nassir Tiriq Gill into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to online jail records.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just before 1a.m. November 22, 2025,&nbsp; police responded to several reports of gunshots around SE 37th Street and SE Adams Street in Topeka. While officers were investigating that area, they received information on a subject arriving at a local hospital by private vehicle with apparent gunshot wounds. The victim later identified as Kingston Scott of Topeka was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;As a result of the investigation police have already arrested two 16-year-old boys from Topeka on&nbsp;&nbsp;charges including murder, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle with great bodily harm and Aggravated Assault; Use of a deadly weapon.&nbsp;Gill is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Murder in the 1st degree; In the commission of a felony. Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle w great bodily harm, Criminal discharge of firearm; Recklessly at occupied dwelling and Criminal damage to property; Without consent value &lt; $1000, according to online jail records.

Police: Tips helped in arrest of suspect in killing of Kansas boy

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an altercation that led to an arrest during a student&nbsp; protest in Olathe.

Just after 2p.m. February 20, police were dispatched to a reported fight in the area of College Boulevard and South Lone Elm Road in Olathe, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

Officers learned there was a planned anti-ICE protest near Olathe Northwest High school when they confronted and started a fight with students who were counter protesting them. During the incident, approximately four students were injured.&nbsp;

Numerous officers responded and stabilized the incident. As a result of the investigation, one juvenile male was taken into custody. Investigators are continuing work to identify and contact individuals who may have been involved.

"The Olathe Police Department supports the community’s right to engage in peaceful protest and lawful assembly. We are committed to protecting those rights while also ensuring public safety. Violence, property damage, or threats to people will be addressed appropriately to protect the community."

&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.&nbsp;

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an altercation that led to an arrest during a student&nbsp; protest in Olathe.Just after 2p.m. February 20, police were dispatched to a reported fight in the area of College Boulevard and South Lone Elm Road in Olathe, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.Officers learned there was a planned anti-ICE protest near Olathe Northwest High school when they confronted and started a fight with students who were counter protesting them. During the incident, approximately four students were injured.&nbsp;Numerous officers responded and stabilized the incident. As a result of the investigation, one juvenile male was taken into custody. Investigators are continuing work to identify and contact individuals who may have been involved."The Olathe Police Department supports the community’s right to engage in peaceful protest and lawful assembly. We are committed to protecting those rights while also ensuring public safety. Violence, property damage, or threats to people will be addressed appropriately to protect the community."&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.&nbsp;

Student-led anti-ice protest ends in Kan. teen's arrest after fight

On Monday, at the direction of U.S. Southern commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, according to a social media report from the U.S. Southern Command.

 Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed.&nbsp;

Monday’s attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on drug boats to at least 151people in at least 44 attacks carried out since early September in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771878383612.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, at the direction of U.S. Southern commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, according to a social media report from the U.S. Southern Command.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">On Feb. 23, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOUTHCOM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOUTHCOM</a> commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… <a href="https://t.co/XUHImPAZik">pic.twitter.com/XUHImPAZik</a>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2026006115428016257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed.&nbsp;Monday’s attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on drug boats to at least 151people in at least 44 attacks carried out since early September in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

🎥 3 more dead in latest U.S. attack on drug boat in the Caribbean 

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. (JASO) – Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 2 a.m. February 18, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Subaru Forester near 118th&nbsp;Road on U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as 31-year-old Sierra Mackenzie Schumacher of Topeka.&nbsp; During the course of the traffic stop a probable cause search was conducted and resulted in the discovery of illegal drug or narcotics, fraudulent/fake identification cards and other documents.

Schumacher was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include 20 counts of forgery; making or altering a written instrument; 1st&nbsp;conviction, 20 counts of identity fraud; replicate document with person info with intent to deceive, 4 counts of display or possess fictitious or fraudulent identification card, 5 counts of possession of a controlled substance; stimulant, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia and defective lamp on motor vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771596396696.png" alt="Scumacher -Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Scumacher -Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. (JASO) – Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just after 2 a.m. February 18, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Subaru Forester near 118th&nbsp;Road on U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The driver of the vehicle was identified as 31-year-old Sierra Mackenzie Schumacher of Topeka.&nbsp; During the course of the traffic stop a probable cause search was conducted and resulted in the discovery of illegal drug or narcotics, fraudulent/fake identification cards and other documents.Schumacher was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include 20 counts of forgery; making or altering a written instrument; 1st&nbsp;conviction, 20 counts of identity fraud; replicate document with person info with intent to deceive, 4 counts of display or possess fictitious or fraudulent identification card, 5 counts of possession of a controlled substance; stimulant, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia and defective lamp on motor vehicle.

Kansas woman caught with dozens of fake IDs

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

In August of 2025, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office received tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators determined the tips were associated with a case that began in 2023. Investigators continued the investigation and with the new information executed a search warrant on September 3, 2025, at a residence in the 100 Block of West Walnut Street, Herington, Kansas. 

Additional search warrants were executed and an arrest warrant was issued on February 18, 2026, for Loren Michael Jones.

On February 20, Sedgwick County Sheriff's office deputies arrested Jones on the warrant issued through the Dickinson County District Court. Jones was later booked into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771868734850.png" alt="Jones photo Dickinson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jones photo Dickinson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.In August of 2025, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office received tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators determined the tips were associated with a case that began in 2023. Investigators continued the investigation and with the new information executed a search warrant on September 3, 2025, at a residence in the 100 Block of West Walnut Street, Herington, Kansas. Additional search warrants were executed and an arrest warrant was issued on February 18, 2026, for Loren Michael Jones.On February 20, Sedgwick County Sheriff's office deputies arrested Jones on the warrant issued through the Dickinson County District Court. Jones was later booked into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

Cyber tip led to arrest of Kansas man for alleged child sex crimes

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/squinn/">Steph Quinn</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Lawmakers agreed the tick-borne allergy to red meat and dairy is a ‘huge’ problem but questioned state capacity to track cases

When Josh Hammann started having severe breathing problems in the spring of 2023, emergency room doctors were convinced he was having panic attacks.

They gave him medication to treat anxiety, but his wife, Megan, said that only made him sicker.

“Of course, that medication had alpha-gal in it,” she told The Independent.

Hammann, of Cole County, and other Missourians whose lives have been upended by alpha-gal syndrome, urged state lawmakers this week to advance a&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1855&amp;year=2026&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill that would require the state to track cases</a>&nbsp;and report them to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/alpha-gal-syndrome/about/index.html" target="_blank">potentially life-threatening tick-borne allergy</a>&nbsp;causes people to have an immune response to mammal products — including red meat, dairy and a form of lactose in the anxiety pills Josh was prescribed. Symptoms vary from breathing problems to skin irritation and abdominal distress. And like Josh, many people with the emerging condition struggle to get a diagnosis.

The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Matthew Overcast, would mandate diagnostic testing labs to report cases of the condition to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services within seven days of receiving a positive test. The department would be required to follow up on a random sample of cases and submit data to the federal government.

Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is sponsoring an identical&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=3537630" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;in the Senate.

Overcast, who presented a similar bill in 2025, emphasized to members of the House Health and Mental Health Committee that alpha-gal syndrome is “a public health crisis.”

“The last time I spoke to this committee, I only had three children [who] have it,” Overcast said. “Now my wife has it, and my aunt has it, and there are so many people, even in my church, that have it.”

Supporters of the bill said participating in national efforts to gather this data will help scientists study the disease and develop public health recommendations that could prevent its spread.

Ryan DeBoef, a lobbyist for the Alpha-Gal Alliance Action Fund, said that collecting data will help Missouri get federal funding to improve patient care and public awareness of alpha-gal syndrome.&nbsp;

The Centers for Disease Control is expected to open applications for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/360958" target="_blank">grants</a>&nbsp;of up to $1 million later this month to encourage knowledge-sharing among researchers and public health agencies, improve case tracking and educate health care providers about the condition.

“So it’s important that the states with a lot of alpha-gal are able to demonstrate that they have a lot of alpha-gal to receive that funding,” DeBoef said.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7230a2-H.pdf" target="_blank">2023 report</a>&nbsp;from the Centers for Disease Control indicated that more than 110,000 suspected cases of alpha-gal syndrome were identified between 2010 and 2022 — and that Missouri was in the center of the swath of the U.S. with the highest concentration of those cases.

Republican state Rep. Kent Haden of Mexico said alpha-gal is a “huge” problem and asked about the accuracy of diagnostic tests for the condition, questioning whether the bill “may be asking something that [the department] can’t do.”

Benjamin Casterline, a dermatologist and immunologist at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, cited data from Virginia that found the diagnostic tests to have 2% false negatives and 8% false positives.

“That’s a pretty good test,” Casterline said.

Overcast said the department has concerns about “the impact of this [bill] on their manpower.” The department estimated that they would need to hire four new staff, including two epidemiologists, to meet case tracking and reporting requirements, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills261/fiscal/fispdf/4267H.02I.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">fiscal note</a>&nbsp;for the bill.

Lawmakers signaled support for the bill, which has 13 co-sponsors. Republican State Rep. Carolyn Caton of Blue Springs, one of the co-sponsors, suggested adding language to the bill that would include patients in case tracking only if they opt in.

Republican state Rep. Tony Harbison of Arcadia said collecting data on the condition’s prevalence in Missouri is “a no-brainer.”

“I see the spread of this, and this gets the conversation started toward a solution or prevention,” Harbison said.

Witnesses in support of the bill shared how alpha-gal syndrome disrupted their families’ routines and peace of mind, often requiring them to take on the burden of researching how to manage the condition.

Megan Hammann was diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome in 2025. She found a tick on her back after a four-wheeling trip.

“We weren’t even off the four-wheelers, so [the tick] was falling from the trees,” she said.

Within a month, she started developing hives.

Hammann said she’s worried her two kids will develop the condition.

“It’s like, how can you tell your kids not to go outside?” she said. “You want them to go outside. You want them to enjoy their childhood, but then you’re terrified…. Something needs to be done, and I’m hoping that this is the start of it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771885231958.png" alt=" Megan Hammann, pictured here in Cole County with her husband Josh in 2024, said she hopes collecting data on alpha-gal syndrome will bring effective, affordable treatments within reach (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption> Megan Hammann, pictured here in Cole County with her husband Josh in 2024, said she hopes collecting data on alpha-gal syndrome will bring effective, affordable treatments within reach (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/squinn/">Steph Quinn</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Lawmakers agreed the tick-borne allergy to red meat and dairy is a ‘huge’ problem but questioned state capacity to track cases</h2>When Josh Hammann started having severe breathing problems in the spring of 2023, emergency room doctors were convinced he was having panic attacks.They gave him medication to treat anxiety, but his wife, Megan, said that only made him sicker.“Of course, that medication had alpha-gal in it,” she told The Independent.Hammann, of Cole County, and other Missourians whose lives have been upended by alpha-gal syndrome, urged state lawmakers this week to advance a&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1855&amp;year=2026&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill that would require the state to track cases</a>&nbsp;and report them to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/alpha-gal-syndrome/about/index.html" target="_blank">potentially life-threatening tick-borne allergy</a>&nbsp;causes people to have an immune response to mammal products — including red meat, dairy and a form of lactose in the anxiety pills Josh was prescribed. Symptoms vary from breathing problems to skin irritation and abdominal distress. And like Josh, many people with the emerging condition struggle to get a diagnosis.The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Matthew Overcast, would mandate diagnostic testing labs to report cases of the condition to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services within seven days of receiving a positive test. The department would be required to follow up on a random sample of cases and submit data to the federal government.Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is sponsoring an identical&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=3537630" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;in the Senate.Overcast, who presented a similar bill in 2025, emphasized to members of the House Health and Mental Health Committee that alpha-gal syndrome is “a public health crisis.”“The last time I spoke to this committee, I only had three children [who] have it,” Overcast said. “Now my wife has it, and my aunt has it, and there are so many people, even in my church, that have it.”Supporters of the bill said participating in national efforts to gather this data will help scientists study the disease and develop public health recommendations that could prevent its spread.Ryan DeBoef, a lobbyist for the Alpha-Gal Alliance Action Fund, said that collecting data will help Missouri get federal funding to improve patient care and public awareness of alpha-gal syndrome.&nbsp;The Centers for Disease Control is expected to open applications for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/360958" target="_blank">grants</a>&nbsp;of up to $1 million later this month to encourage knowledge-sharing among researchers and public health agencies, improve case tracking and educate health care providers about the condition.“So it’s important that the states with a lot of alpha-gal are able to demonstrate that they have a lot of alpha-gal to receive that funding,” DeBoef said.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7230a2-H.pdf" target="_blank">2023 report</a>&nbsp;from the Centers for Disease Control indicated that more than 110,000 suspected cases of alpha-gal syndrome were identified between 2010 and 2022 — and that Missouri was in the center of the swath of the U.S. with the highest concentration of those cases.Republican state Rep. Kent Haden of Mexico said alpha-gal is a “huge” problem and asked about the accuracy of diagnostic tests for the condition, questioning whether the bill “may be asking something that [the department] can’t do.”Benjamin Casterline, a dermatologist and immunologist at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, cited data from Virginia that found the diagnostic tests to have 2% false negatives and 8% false positives.“That’s a pretty good test,” Casterline said.Overcast said the department has concerns about “the impact of this [bill] on their manpower.” The department estimated that they would need to hire four new staff, including two epidemiologists, to meet case tracking and reporting requirements, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills261/fiscal/fispdf/4267H.02I.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">fiscal note</a>&nbsp;for the bill.Lawmakers signaled support for the bill, which has 13 co-sponsors. Republican State Rep. Carolyn Caton of Blue Springs, one of the co-sponsors, suggested adding language to the bill that would include patients in case tracking only if they opt in.Republican state Rep. Tony Harbison of Arcadia said collecting data on the condition’s prevalence in Missouri is “a no-brainer.”“I see the spread of this, and this gets the conversation started toward a solution or prevention,” Harbison said.Witnesses in support of the bill shared how alpha-gal syndrome disrupted their families’ routines and peace of mind, often requiring them to take on the burden of researching how to manage the condition.Megan Hammann was diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome in 2025. She found a tick on her back after a four-wheeling trip.“We weren’t even off the four-wheelers, so [the tick] was falling from the trees,” she said.Within a month, she started developing hives.Hammann said she’s worried her two kids will develop the condition.“It’s like, how can you tell your kids not to go outside?” she said. “You want them to go outside. You want them to enjoy their childhood, but then you’re terrified…. Something needs to be done, and I’m hoping that this is the start of it.”

Missouri bill would require reporting, tracking of alpha-gal syndrome

LYON COUNTY— A pilot and passenger avoided injury after an emergency plane landing just before 10a.m. Monday in Lyon County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1977&nbsp;Grumman American fixed wing single-engine aircraft piloted by 41-year-old Joseph Ira&nbsp;Glover of&nbsp;Defuniak Springs, Flordia made the emergency landing when the propeller on the aircraft stoped working.

The plane came down in a corn field at 3951 N K-99 just southwest of the&nbsp;Road 400 intersection.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Glover and a passenger were not injured. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771877769811.png" alt="google map" />
 <figcaption>google map</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY— A pilot and passenger avoided injury after an emergency plane landing just before 10a.m. Monday in Lyon County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1977&nbsp;Grumman American fixed wing single-engine aircraft piloted by 41-year-old Joseph Ira&nbsp;Glover of&nbsp;Defuniak Springs, Flordia made the emergency landing when the propeller on the aircraft stoped working.The plane came down in a corn field at 3951 N K-99 just southwest of the&nbsp;Road 400 intersection.&nbsp; &nbsp;Glover and a passenger were not injured. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.

Small plane makes emergency landing in Kan. cornfield

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just after 9a.m.&nbsp; February 20, police arrested 27-year-old Tyrea Stewart of Junction City in the 100 block of Courthouse Plaza in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report. 

Stewart is being without bond for two Riley County District Court warrants for probation violation. The arrest stems from original charges of endangering a child, driving under the influence, improper child passenger safety restraint and transportation of liquor in an open container.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763659813284.jpeg" alt="Tyrea Stewart photo from a previous arrest in Geary County" />
 <figcaption>Tyrea Stewart photo from a previous arrest in Geary County</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.Just after 9a.m.&nbsp; February 20, police arrested 27-year-old Tyrea Stewart of Junction City in the 100 block of Courthouse Plaza in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report. Stewart is being without bond for two Riley County District Court warrants for probation violation. The arrest stems from original charges of endangering a child, driving under the influence, improper child passenger safety restraint and transportation of liquor in an open container.&nbsp;

Police: Kan. man accused of DUI with child in the car

HARVEY COUNTY —The Harvey County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the man who died in a farming accident in Harvey County over the weekend.

Mark Klaassen, 37, of Newton, was shifting soybeans Saturday inside a grain bin on a farm in the 2100 block of South Spencer Road, according to a media release from the sheriff's office. The contents suddenly shifted, trapping and injuring Klaassen.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the incident at 2:30 p.m. Klaassen was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other men were working alongside Klaassen. They did not request medical treatment. The death was ruled accidental.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771861613107.png" alt="View of where the accident occurred-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>View of where the accident occurred-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY —The Harvey County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the man who died in a farming accident in Harvey County over the weekend.Mark Klaassen, 37, of Newton, was shifting soybeans Saturday inside a grain bin on a farm in the 2100 block of South Spencer Road, according to a media release from the sheriff's office. The contents suddenly shifted, trapping and injuring Klaassen.Emergency responders were dispatched to the incident at 2:30 p.m. Klaassen was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other men were working alongside Klaassen. They did not request medical treatment. The death was ruled accidental.

Sheriff IDs Kansas man who died in grain bin accident

SHAWNEE COUNTY —A man wanted in connection with the November shooting death of a 16-year-old Kansas boy is in custody. Just before 9p.m. Sunday, police booked 20-year-old&nbsp; Nassir Tiriq Gill into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to online jail records.&nbsp; Police have not released details on the circumstances of his arrest.

On Friday, police asked the public for help to locate him in connection with the November killing of 16-year-old Kingston Scott.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764973228137.png" alt="Kingston Scott photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Kingston Scott photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —A man wanted in connection with the November shooting death of a 16-year-old Kansas boy is in custody. Just before 9p.m. Sunday, police booked 20-year-old&nbsp; Nassir Tiriq Gill into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to online jail records.&nbsp; Police have not released details on the circumstances of his arrest.On Friday, police asked the public for help to locate him in connection with the November killing of 16-year-old Kingston Scott.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771847664741.png" alt="Gill photo Shawnee&nbsp; County" />
 <figcaption>Gill photo Shawnee&nbsp; County</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 1a.m. November 22, 2025,&nbsp; police responded to several reports of gunshots around SE 37th Street and SE Adams Street in Topeka. While officers were investigating that area, they received information on a subject arriving at a local hospital by private vehicle with apparent gunshot wounds. The victim later identified as Kingston Scott of Topeka was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;As a result of the investigation police have already arrested two 16-year-old boys from Topeka on&nbsp;&nbsp;charges including murder, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle with great bodily harm and Aggravated Assault; Use of a deadly weapon.&nbsp;Gill is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Murder in the 1st degree; In the commission of a felony. Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle w great bodily harm, Criminal discharge of firearm; Recklessly at occupied dwelling and Criminal damage to property; Without consent value &lt; $1000, according to online jail records.

Suspect in murder of 16-year-old Kan. boy is in custody

A disagreement on the oversight of federal immigration officers and arguments over changes to how agencies are funded has led to an ongoing partial government shutdown, pausing funding of the Department of Homeland Security.  

Eastern Kansas Congressman, Derek Schmidt says the biggest problem is that the pause in funding is not affecting those agencies such as ICE or Customs Borders and Protections, which were fully funded back in July.  

Schmidt says what is affected is everything else that is supposed to be funded through DHS 

“So it’s the Secret Service, it’s FEMA, it’s the Transportation Security Administration, TSA, the folks that keep us safe when we get on airplanes, it’s the Coast Guard, those are the agencies that aren’t getting funded right now, and they’re the agencies nobody’s mad at,” Schmidt tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  “So, it’s this strange Washington dynamic that it’s really unfortunate, and I’m hoping we can get it ended very quickly before it disrupts people’s lives anymore.” 

Schmidt says that's frustrating because agencies such as those have not done anything wrong and have just been doing their jobs each and every day  

“And they’ve been caught up in this broader dispute about immigration enforcement and removal operations, and so I’m hopeful we can get past this quickly,” Schmidt explains.  “The negotiations are ongoing, Senator (Chuck) Schumer and his folks, Hakeem Jeffries and his House Democrats, the White House and obviously the Republican leadership in congress they’re continuing to talk every day, offers are being sent back and forth and eventually agreement will be reached, but I hope it’s sooner rather than later, this isn’t doing anybody any good and so it really needs to end.” 

Schmidt says the situation is incredibly frustrating and believes it's no way government should be run, adding most of the ongoing problems stemmed from headlines out of Minnesota 

“We had a bipartisan agreement with Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate, and the White House on funding the Department of Homeland Security, we passed it in the house, they were prepared to pass it in the Senate, then the situation in Minnesota happened and then Senator Schumer pulled the plug on it and so here we are,” Schmidt says.  “I just don’t think holding these other agencies hostage does anybody any good, I don’t think it’s the right thing to do, and I’d like to get it ended as quickly as possible, I hope that’s going to happen.” 

The shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by DHS immigration agents during protests in Minneapolis last month prompted Senate Democrats to demand reforms in exchange for their support of the package. 

Schmidt says talks appear to be creeping towards meeting somewhere in the middle on an agreement to get funding back to those departments, however other reports say discussions remain pretty far apart still.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

By MATT PIKEA disagreement on the oversight of federal immigration officers and arguments over changes to how agencies are funded has led to an ongoing partial government shutdown, pausing funding of the Department of Homeland Security. Eastern Kansas Congressman, Derek Schmidt says the biggest problem is that the pause in funding is not affecting those agencies such as ICE or Customs Borders and Protections, which were fully funded back in July. Schmidt says what is affected is everything else that is supposed to be funded through DHS “So it’s the Secret Service, it’s FEMA, it’s the Transportation Security Administration, TSA, the folks that keep us safe when we get on airplanes, it’s the Coast Guard, those are the agencies that aren’t getting funded right now, and they’re the agencies nobody’s mad at,” Schmidt tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, it’s this strange Washington dynamic that it’s really unfortunate, and I’m hoping we can get it ended very quickly before it disrupts people’s lives anymore.” Schmidt says that's frustrating because agencies such as those have not done anything wrong and have just been doing their jobs each and every day “And they’ve been caught up in this broader dispute about immigration enforcement and removal operations, and so I’m hopeful we can get past this quickly,” Schmidt explains. “The negotiations are ongoing, Senator (Chuck) Schumer and his folks, Hakeem Jeffries and his House Democrats, the White House and obviously the Republican leadership in congress they’re continuing to talk every day, offers are being sent back and forth and eventually agreement will be reached, but I hope it’s sooner rather than later, this isn’t doing anybody any good and so it really needs to end.” Schmidt says the situation is incredibly frustrating and believes it's no way government should be run, adding most of the ongoing problems stemmed from headlines out of Minnesota “We had a bipartisan agreement with Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate, and the White House on funding the Department of Homeland Security, we passed it in the house, they were prepared to pass it in the Senate, then the situation in Minnesota happened and then Senator Schumer pulled the plug on it and so here we are,” Schmidt says. “I just don’t think holding these other agencies hostage does anybody any good, I don’t think it’s the right thing to do, and I’d like to get it ended as quickly as possible, I hope that’s going to happen.” The shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by DHS immigration agents during protests in Minneapolis last month prompted Senate Democrats to demand reforms in exchange for their support of the package. Schmidt says talks appear to be creeping towards meeting somewhere in the middle on an agreement to get funding back to those departments, however other reports say discussions remain pretty far apart still.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Kanas Congressman Schmidt hopes partial government shutdown ends 'sooner rather than later'

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

&nbsp;just before 10:15p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4900 block of College Avenue, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

When officers arrived, they located a juvenile male victim later identified as 17-year-old Santino Gonzalez suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive. 

Officers performed life-saving measures until EMS could respond and transport the boy to an area hospital for treatment. Officers on scene were advised that he had been pronounced deceased. 

Three additional victims, one adult female and two juvenile teens, were located at the scene all suffering from varying gunshot trauma. An additional two victims, one adult female and one juvenile teen, arrived at area hospitals by private conveyance all suffering from gunshot wounds.

Preliminary investigation indicates there was a gathering occurring at a residence in the 4900 block of College when an altercation between unknown individuals transpired inside of the residence. That altercation escalated into shots being fired, and resulted in two adult females, two juvenile teen males, and two juvenile teen females being struck. At this time, we do not have a person of interest identified and we do not have anyone in custody.

Homicide detectives and crime scene personnel responded to the scene to begin collecting evidence and gathering witness statements.

This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Police have not released suspect details or the name of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771801790391.png" alt="Police near the crime scene-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Police near the crime scene-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp;just before 10:15p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4900 block of College Avenue, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771801754925.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>When officers arrived, they located a juvenile male victim later identified as 17-year-old Santino Gonzalez suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive. Officers performed life-saving measures until EMS could respond and transport the boy to an area hospital for treatment. Officers on scene were advised that he had been pronounced deceased. Three additional victims, one adult female and two juvenile teens, were located at the scene all suffering from varying gunshot trauma. An additional two victims, one adult female and one juvenile teen, arrived at area hospitals by private conveyance all suffering from gunshot wounds.Preliminary investigation indicates there was a gathering occurring at a residence in the 4900 block of College when an altercation between unknown individuals transpired inside of the residence. That altercation escalated into shots being fired, and resulted in two adult females, two juvenile teen males, and two juvenile teen females being struck. At this time, we do not have a person of interest identified and we do not have anyone in custody.Homicide detectives and crime scene personnel responded to the scene to begin collecting evidence and gathering witness statements.This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Police have not released suspect details or the name of the victim.

Mass Shooting: Teen killed, 5 others injured at Kansas City home

WASHINGTON —The Mexican army killed the leader of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-jalisco-cartel-us-sanctions-8e40e7da8ce88c4feb45e61f3a2e00a3">Jalisco New Generation Cartel</a>, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho," on Sunday, decapitating what had become Mexico's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-mencho-justice-department-drug-cartels-cjng-73b539b8029c793fbd995a357b57f25f">most powerful drug cartel</a>&nbsp;and thrusting swaths of the nation into chaos.

According to a social media report late Sunday from White House spokesperson Karaoline Leavitt, " The United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation in Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, in which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous drug lord and leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated. 

‘El Mencho’ was a was a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland. Last year, President Trump rightfully designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization — because that’s exactly what it is. In this operation, three additional cartel members were killed, three were wounded, and two were arrested.

"President Trump has been very clear — the United States will ensure narcoterrorists sending deadly drugs to our homeland are forced to face the wrath of justice they have long deserved."

"The Trump Administration also commends and thanks the Mexican military for their cooperation and successful execution of this operation."

The drug lord was the Mexican government's biggest prize yet to show the Trump administration in its efforts to crack down on the cartels, and his death was met with a forceful reaction from the cartel, known by its Spanish initials CJNG.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771795992010.png" alt="Image U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The Mexican army killed the leader of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-jalisco-cartel-us-sanctions-8e40e7da8ce88c4feb45e61f3a2e00a3">Jalisco New Generation Cartel</a>, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho," on Sunday, decapitating what had become Mexico's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-mencho-justice-department-drug-cartels-cjng-73b539b8029c793fbd995a357b57f25f">most powerful drug cartel</a>&nbsp;and thrusting swaths of the nation into chaos.According to a social media report late Sunday from White House spokesperson Karaoline Leavitt, " The United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation in Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, in which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous drug lord and leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated. ‘El Mencho’ was a was a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland. Last year, President Trump rightfully designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization — because that’s exactly what it is. In this operation, three additional cartel members were killed, three were wounded, and two were arrested."President Trump has been very clear — the United States will ensure narcoterrorists sending deadly drugs to our homeland are forced to face the wrath of justice they have long deserved."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mexico: UPDATE - Due to ongoing, widespread security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity in many areas of Mexico, U.S. citizens should shelter in place until further notice. Roadblocks have impacted airline operations, with some domestic &amp; int’l flights… <a href="https://t.co/SIxMGKwGny">pic.twitter.com/SIxMGKwGny</a>&mdash; TravelGov (@TravelGov) <a href="https://twitter.com/TravelGov/status/2025690556953714887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"The Trump Administration also commends and thanks the Mexican military for their cooperation and successful execution of this operation."The drug lord was the Mexican government's biggest prize yet to show the Trump administration in its efforts to crack down on the cartels, and his death was met with a forceful reaction from the cartel, known by its Spanish initials CJNG.

White House: U.S. helped Mexican army kill powerful drug lord

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after

Just after 6a.m. January 18, a sheriff's deputy conducted a narcotic search warrant in the 1100 block of Laing Street in Osage City., according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

As a result, two subjects were taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility.&nbsp; Gabriel A. Kennedy, 37, of Osage City is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Interference with law enforcement

Christopher W. Hibbs, 39, of Osage City is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; Violation of the registered offender act, 2nd offense and Aggravated violation of the registered offender act. He has been listed as a registered sex offender since a conviction in 2006 for attempted aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse w child 14-16 years of age, according to the KBI Offender Registry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771522214051.png" alt="Kennedy photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Kennedy photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771522175586.png" alt="Hibbs photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Hibbs photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 6a.m. January 18, a sheriff's deputy conducted a narcotic search warrant in the 1100 block of Laing Street in Osage City., according to Sheriff Chris Wells.As a result, two subjects were taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility.&nbsp; Gabriel A. Kennedy, 37, of Osage City is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Interference with law enforcementChristopher W. Hibbs, 39, of Osage City is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; Violation of the registered offender act, 2nd offense and Aggravated violation of the registered offender act. He has been listed as a registered sex offender since a conviction in 2006 for attempted aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse w child 14-16 years of age, according to the KBI Offender Registry.

Wanted Kan. sex offender caught during drug bust

Click below to listen to the Palm Beach County Sheriff and Secret Service update on the fatal shooting at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771803623092.png" alt="Suspect had gas can and a shotgun- image from Palm Beach Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Suspect had gas can and a shotgun- image from Palm Beach Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Click below to listen to the Palm Beach County Sheriff and Secret Service update on the fatal shooting at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=315&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F901846472775014%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>

New details: Armed man shot, killed at Mar-a-Lago 

Locations:&nbsp;Widespread, including&nbsp;Jalisco&nbsp;State (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Baja California State (including Tijuana, Tecate, and Ensenada), Quintana Roo State (including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum), and areas of Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas States

Event:&nbsp;Due to ongoing security&nbsp;operations and&nbsp;related&nbsp;road blockages and criminal activity,&nbsp;U.S. citizens&nbsp;in the named locations&nbsp;should shelter in&nbsp;place&nbsp;until further notice.

All U.S. government staff at Consulate General Tijuana and all U.S. government staff in Guerrero, Michoacan, and Quintana Roo states have been directed to shelter in place.&nbsp; All U.S. government staff at Consulate General Monterrey have been directed to remain in the Monterrey metropolitan area.

While no airports have been closed, roadblocks have impacted airline operations, with some domestic and international flights cancelled in both Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.&nbsp; All taxis and ride shares are suspended in Puerto Vallarta. &nbsp;Some businesses have suspended operations.

<a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/contact/" target="_blank">Contact Form</a><a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico</a>From Mexico: (55) 8526 2561From the United States: &nbsp;+1-844-528-6611Department of State – Consular Affairs:  +1-888-407-4747 or +1-202-501-4444

Links:<a href="https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/mexico.html" target="_blank">Mexico International Travel information&nbsp;</a><a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/receive-embassy-alerts-on-whatsapp/" target="_blank">U.S. Citizens in Mexico WhatsApp Channel</a><a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/passports/" target="_blank">U.S. Passports</a><a href="https://mytravel.state.gov/s/step" target="_blank">Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)&nbsp;</a>Department of State on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/travelgov" target="_blank">Facebook&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/travelgov" target="_blank">X&nbsp;</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771795992010.png" alt="On Sunday, troops targeted Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” in the western state of Jalisco. and killed him, according to the Mexican Army. - Photo U.S. Department of State" />
 <figcaption>On Sunday, troops targeted Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” in the western state of Jalisco. and killed him, according to the Mexican Army. - Photo U.S. Department of State</figcaption>
 </figure>Locations:&nbsp;Widespread, including&nbsp;Jalisco&nbsp;State (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Baja California State (including Tijuana, Tecate, and Ensenada), Quintana Roo State (including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum), and areas of Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas States<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Mexico: UPDATE - Due to ongoing, widespread security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity in many areas of Mexico, U.S. citizens should shelter in place until further notice. Roadblocks have impacted airline operations, with some domestic &amp; int’l flights… <a href="https://t.co/SIxMGKwGny">pic.twitter.com/SIxMGKwGny</a>&mdash; TravelGov (@TravelGov) <a href="https://twitter.com/TravelGov/status/2025690556953714887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Security Alert – Update: Ongoing Security Operations - U.S. Mission Mexico (February 22, 2026) Locations: Widespread, including Jalisco State (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Baja California State (including Tijuana, Tecate, and Ensenada), Quintana Roo… <a href="https://t.co/GlF1wAhm2J">pic.twitter.com/GlF1wAhm2J</a>&mdash; U.S. Consulate Tijuana (@ConsuladoUSATJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ConsuladoUSATJ/status/2025697223850565982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Event:&nbsp;Due to ongoing security&nbsp;operations and&nbsp;related&nbsp;road blockages and criminal activity,&nbsp;U.S. citizens&nbsp;in the named locations&nbsp;should shelter in&nbsp;place&nbsp;until further notice.All U.S. government staff at Consulate General Tijuana and all U.S. government staff in Guerrero, Michoacan, and Quintana Roo states have been directed to shelter in place.&nbsp; All U.S. government staff at Consulate General Monterrey have been directed to remain in the Monterrey metropolitan area.While no airports have been closed, roadblocks have impacted airline operations, with some domestic and international flights cancelled in both Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.&nbsp; All taxis and ride shares are suspended in Puerto Vallarta. &nbsp;Some businesses have suspended operations.Actions to Take:<ul>
 <li>Seek shelter and minimize unnecessary movements.&nbsp;&nbsp;Remain in your residences or hotels.</li><li>Avoid areas around law enforcement activity.</li><li>Be aware of your surroundings.</li><li>Monitor local media for updates.</li><li>Follow the directions of local authorities and in case of emergency, call 911.</li><li>Avoid crowds.</li><li>Keep family and friends advised of your location and well-being via phone, text, and social media.</li>
 </ul>Assistance:<a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/contact/" target="_blank">Contact Form</a><a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico</a>From Mexico: (55) 8526 2561From the United States: &nbsp;+1-844-528-6611Department of State – Consular Affairs:  +1-888-407-4747 or +1-202-501-4444Links:<a href="https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/mexico.html" target="_blank">Mexico International Travel information&nbsp;</a><a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/receive-embassy-alerts-on-whatsapp/" target="_blank">U.S. Citizens in Mexico WhatsApp Channel</a><a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/passports/" target="_blank">U.S. Passports</a><a href="https://mytravel.state.gov/s/step" target="_blank">Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)&nbsp;</a>Department of State on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/travelgov" target="_blank">Facebook&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/travelgov" target="_blank">X&nbsp;</a>

Security Alert: Ongoing security operations – U.S. Mission Mexico

KANSAS CITY—Kansas City , Missouri police know some heroes have four legs.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, police responded to a call for a toddler found wandering barefoot on the street, according to a social media report from KCMO Police.. While trying to figure out the toddler’s identity and family, a dog kept nudging at the officers.

To officers, the dog was trying to tell them something. When the dog walked away, the officers followed their instincts and the dog.

The dog led officers to a house. That house was the toddler’s home.

The toddler was reunited with family, though there is an investigation as to what happened.

KANSAS CITY—Kansas City , Missouri police know some heroes have four legs.&nbsp;Earlier this month, police responded to a call for a toddler found wandering barefoot on the street, according to a social media report from KCMO Police.. While trying to figure out the toddler’s identity and family, a dog kept nudging at the officers.

To officers, the dog was trying to tell them something. When the dog walked away, the officers followed their instincts and the dog.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">The video, again. <a href="https://t.co/qDg83UqZh5">pic.twitter.com/qDg83UqZh5</a>&mdash; kcpolice (@kcpolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice/status/2024537473133813850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The dog led officers to a house. That house was the toddler’s home.The toddler was reunited with family, though there is an investigation as to what happened.

🎥Dog helps Kansas City police find wandering toddler's home 

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>

Outrage erupted last month when Oklahoma City residents learned of plans to convert a vacant warehouse into an immigration processing facility.

Making&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/2026/01/27/oklahomans-denounce-potential-ice-processing-center-at-okc-city-council-meeting/" target="_blank">matters worse</a>&nbsp;was the secrecy of the federal government: City leaders received no communication from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aside from a mandated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.okc.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/city-manager/ltr-from-dhs-to-okc-about-okc-detention-center.pdf" target="_blank">disclosure</a>&nbsp;related to historic preservation.

Planning a major development without city input is antithetical to the in-depth, sometimes arcane permitting, planning and zoning process in Oklahoma City. Mayor David Holt, a former Republican state senator, said those land use decisions are among the most crucial of any municipal government.

“For any entity to be able to open a detention center in our communities, potentially next to neighborhoods or schools, regardless of your views on immigration policy or enforcement, is very challenging, because that’s a very high-impact use, and that’s the kind of thing that we would expect to talk about,” he told Stateline.

Communities across the country are facing similar prospects as ICE undertakes a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/21/nx-s1-5674887/ice-budget-funding-congress-trump" target="_blank">massive expansion</a>&nbsp;fueled in large part by the record $45 billion approved for increased immigration detention by Congress last summer.

During President Donald Trump’s second term, ICE is holding a record number of detainees —&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/02/05/immigration-detention-passed-70000-in-january/" target="_blank">more than 70,000</a>&nbsp;as of January — across its own facilities as well as in contracted local jails and private prisons. ICE<a href="https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt971/files/inline-documents/merrimack-detention-reengineering-initiative.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;documents</a>&nbsp;from last week show plans for acquiring and renovating 16 processing sites that hold up to 1,500 people each and eight detention centers that hold up to 10,000 each, for a total capacity of 92,600 beds. The agency also has plans for some 150 new leases and office expansions across the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-expansion-across-us-at-heres-where-its-going-next/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us" target="_blank">Wired reported</a>.

But ICE’s plans to convert industrial buildings — often warehouses — into new detention facilities have recently faced fierce opposition over humanitarian and economic concerns. From Utah to Texas to Georgia, local governments have sought to block these massive facilities. But with limited legal authority, city and state officials have turned to the court of public opinion to deter private developers and the federal government.

Holt, who is the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a nonpartisan organization representing the more than 1,400 leaders of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, said cities have little legal recourse over the ICE facilities.

“We all have a clear, unified position that really crosses party lines,” he said, “and then we also have a clear understanding of how limited our options are.”

Local leaders often cite the U.S. Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artVI-C2-1/ALDE_00013395/" target="_blank">supremacy clause</a>, which says federal laws supersede conflicting state laws. That leaves cities with limited influence over projects that could take industrial space off tax rolls, cause new strains on city services and raise serious humanitarian concerns given the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement, including the high-profile killings of two Americans in Minnesota.

Facing bipartisan opposition, the out-of-state owner of the Oklahoma City warehouse ultimately decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/proposed-oklahoma-city-ice-facility-is-off-the-table/" target="_blank">end talks</a>&nbsp;of selling or leasing its warehouse to the federal government.

Similar public pressure has proved effective in reversing plans in several other cities: In late January, a Canadian firm said it would not proceed with a planned sale of a Virginia warehouse after it faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/politics/ice-warehouse-detention-canada.html" target="_blank">calls for a boycott</a>&nbsp;from Canadian politicians and businesses. In Mississippi, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker announced the federal government would&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorWicker/status/2019820750900002820" target="_blank">“look elsewhere”</a>&nbsp;after he spoke with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees ICE. Wicker, a Republican who said he supports immigration enforcement, echoed local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2026/2/wicker-proposed-ice-facility-threatens-byhalia-mississippi-economy-and-infrastructure" target="_blank">economic concerns</a>&nbsp;of a project planned in Byhalia.

Some officials have welcomed the new facilities: Missouri Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford has&nbsp;<a href="https://alford.house.gov/uploadedfiles/1.16.2026_ice_facility_letter.pdf" target="_blank">lobbied</a>&nbsp;to land a detention and processing center in his district. And last week, a Maryland county approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbaltv.com/article/washington-county-dhs-ice-resolution-hagerstown-detention-center/70300009" target="_blank">resolution</a>&nbsp;expressing its “full support” for ICE, which is considering purchasing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washco-md.net/news/washington-county-statement-on-u-s-department-of-homeland-security-notice-concerning-proposed-ice-facility/" target="_blank">warehouse</a>&nbsp;there, despite local protests. But most communities have fought them.

Neither DHS nor ICE responded to Stateline’s questions.

Holt said the discussion resembles other local development concerns where NIMBY — short for Not in My Backyard — is a common description of opponents.

“There are plenty of people who are very law-and-order and supporters of law enforcement who don’t want a jail next to their house,” he said. “That’s why it’s got such broad opposition: NIMBYism is the most powerful force sometimes in American politics and nobody wants a detention center next to their home, their business or their school.”

After learning that ICE planned to take over a vacant warehouse within its city limits, the Kansas City Council in January swiftly approved a five-year ban on nonmunicipal detention facilities.

Kansas City Council member Andrea Bough, who is also a private development attorney, said the move was both political and legal: The city wanted to send a clear signal opposing ICE facilities, but it also wants to exert its local authority over planning and zoning.

She acknowledged the legal hurdle posed by the supremacy clause, but said there was enough ambiguity over the city’s ability to regulate land use that it may take the issue to the courts.

“Some would say local building codes and zoning regulations do not apply to the federal government,” she said. “That’s something I think we would probably in this situation be willing to fight until we had clear guidance on that.”

Following weeks of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-hudnall/article314486671.html" target="_blank">pressure</a>, the Kansas City firm that owns the 920,000-square-foot warehouse announced Thursday it was no longer “actively engaged with the U.S. Government or any other prospective purchaser,” the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article314676617.html#storylink=cpy" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Jackson County, which includes portions of Kansas City and the potential detention facility, is considering a similar ban. And across the state line, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is considering a similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/wyandotte-county/article314647328.html" target="_blank">two-year moratorium</a>.

But there are clear limitations on cities’ ability to stop federal projects, said Nestor Davidson, a professor who teaches land use and local government law at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

“The federal government can assert immunity from certain state and local laws, including zoning, but it’s complicated, and there are nuances,” he said.

Still, Davidson said some case law has shown cities may have stronger legal footing for zoning rules that are broad and not directly targeted at specific federal government projects.

“I expect to see litigation,” he said. “I think you’re going to see these conversations play out as land use fights often do: both in a legal venue and in a political venue.”

Kansas City’s moratorium has sparked interest among local activists who have pressured elected officials in other cities across the country to act. But many local officials are adamant that federal law ties their hands.

In a legal opinion provided to the Orlando City Council in Florida, City Attorney Mayanne Downs rejected “suggestions of actions we can supposedly take,” including moratoriums or using zoning ordinances to block ICE detention centers.

“However well motivated these suggestions are, the law is very clear: ICE, as an agency of our federal government, ICE is immune from any local regulation that interferes in any way with its federal mandate,” Downs wrote to the mayor and city commissioners.

ICE is reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/02/06/u-s-reps-maxwell-frost-darren-soto-tell-kristi-noem-not-to-open-ice-facility-in-central-florida/" target="_blank">considering</a>&nbsp;a new $100 million processing center in southeast Orlando.

The county commission in Orange County, which includes Orlando, discussed the issue last week after receiving similar legal advice. County Commissioner Nicole Wilson said the board is even more constrained because of a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/180" target="_blank">Florida law&nbsp;</a>limiting certain local governments’ ability to regulate development through 2027.

After being advised against passing a moratorium, the board agreed with Wilson’s follow-up suggestion to draft a resolution expressing its opposition. That will be considered at a future meeting.

“It doesn’t sound like it has the teeth that a moratorium would have, but it essentially gives an awareness that we’ve established a position in opposition to this type of facility in Orange County,” Wilson told Stateline.

An attorney by trade, Wilson said the case law regarding federal projects largely centers on disputes about post offices, which she said is not an appropriate comparison to the massive detention centers currently contemplated.

“A post office has the same water consumption and sewage as probably a lot of other uses,” she said. “If you take a warehouse that was designed for 25,000 widgets and put 15,000 humans in it, you’ve got a very different set of local needs and services that are being used and being taxed and being burdened.”

Communities have often opposed various other federal projects, such as federal courthouses. But the federal government generally takes the time to listen to local concerns and communicate building plans with communities, said Jason Klumb, a former regional administrator with the U.S. General Services Administration, which manages the federal government’s real estate.

“Generally, GSA has had kind of a good neighbor approach, understanding that they have requirements for federal facilities, and some of those facilities may not always be popular,” said Klumb, an Obama appointee.

But the federal government has not been shy about exerting its constitutional authority.

For example, late last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/jan/31/federal-government-reconfirms-vine-street/" target="_blank">GSA announced</a>&nbsp;it would build a new $239 million federal courthouse in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/jan/31/federal-government-reconfirms-vine-street/" target="_blank">bipartisan lobbying</a>&nbsp;from city and federal officials for a different site.

“The feds get what the feds want, ultimately,” Klumb said.

In a statement, a GSA spokesperson declined to clarify the agency’s current role in acquiring ICE detention facilities. The statement said the agency was “following all lease procurement procedures in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”

Communities have largely been left out of the administration’s immigration decision-making process.

“Most of the information we have received on this facility has been through news leaks and the government has not reached out to us yet,” said Paul Micali, the town manager of Merrimack, New Hampshire.

Through an open records request, the ACLU of New Hampshire&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/03/new-documents-confirm-federal-government-plans-to-put-an-ice-facility-in-merrimack/" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;that ICE was planning to convert a 43-acre warehouse property in the town of about 28,200.

The federal plans were obtained from the state’s historic preservation office, which came under fire for not informing Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte of ICE’s proposal. That agency’s top official&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/09/embattled-cultural-resources-commissioner-resigns-amid-merrimack-ice-facility-fallout/" target="_blank">resigned last week</a>&nbsp;after pressure from Ayotte.

Ayotte’s office did not respond to a request for comment. On Thursday, her office released documents detailing how the federal government’s&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/13/ayotte-releases-dhs-documents-about-planned-ice-detention-center-in-merrimack/" target="_blank">$158 million plan</a>&nbsp;to retrofit the property would create hundreds of long-term jobs for the region.

<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/12/ice-director-dhs-has-worked-with-gov-ayotte-on-merrimack-immigrant-detention-center/" target="_blank">Testifying before Congress</a>&nbsp;Thursday, an ICE official said the feds will not cancel the project over local concerns.

Micali said the vacant warehouse currently provides about $529,000 in annual property taxes — a substantial sum given the town’s property tax base of about $20 million.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.merrimacknh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3456/f/news/260123_town_council_letter_to_dhs_re_ice_processing_center_-_signed.pdf" target="_blank">letter to Noem</a>, the Town Council said converting the property to a tax-free federal facility would result in higher local taxes for residents. Merrimack is also concerned about potential demands for water, fire and other city services, Micali said, but can’t even begin to assess needs without more details from the feds.

He’s speaking with lawyers about what options, if any, the town may have to assert local zoning power.

“We’re looking at every possibility,” he said.

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.&nbsp;

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/02/17/communities-fight-ice-detention-centers-but-have-few-tools-to-stop-them/" target="_blank">Stateline</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kansas Reflector, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771730316728.png" alt=" A vacant warehouse in Kansas City, Mo., was among a growing number of properties across the country planned for conversion into a federal immigration detention center. After weeks of public pressure, the private developer that owns the property announced last week it would not transfer the property to the federal government. (Photo by Kevin Hardy/Stateline)" />
 <figcaption> A vacant warehouse in Kansas City, Mo., was among a growing number of properties across the country planned for conversion into a federal immigration detention center. After weeks of public pressure, the private developer that owns the property announced last week it would not transfer the property to the federal government. (Photo by Kevin Hardy/Stateline)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>Outrage erupted last month when Oklahoma City residents learned of plans to convert a vacant warehouse into an immigration processing facility.Making&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/2026/01/27/oklahomans-denounce-potential-ice-processing-center-at-okc-city-council-meeting/" target="_blank">matters worse</a>&nbsp;was the secrecy of the federal government: City leaders received no communication from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aside from a mandated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.okc.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/city-manager/ltr-from-dhs-to-okc-about-okc-detention-center.pdf" target="_blank">disclosure</a>&nbsp;related to historic preservation.Planning a major development without city input is antithetical to the in-depth, sometimes arcane permitting, planning and zoning process in Oklahoma City. Mayor David Holt, a former Republican state senator, said those land use decisions are among the most crucial of any municipal government.“For any entity to be able to open a detention center in our communities, potentially next to neighborhoods or schools, regardless of your views on immigration policy or enforcement, is very challenging, because that’s a very high-impact use, and that’s the kind of thing that we would expect to talk about,” he told Stateline.Communities across the country are facing similar prospects as ICE undertakes a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/21/nx-s1-5674887/ice-budget-funding-congress-trump" target="_blank">massive expansion</a>&nbsp;fueled in large part by the record $45 billion approved for increased immigration detention by Congress last summer.During President Donald Trump’s second term, ICE is holding a record number of detainees —&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/02/05/immigration-detention-passed-70000-in-january/" target="_blank">more than 70,000</a>&nbsp;as of January — across its own facilities as well as in contracted local jails and private prisons. ICE<a href="https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt971/files/inline-documents/merrimack-detention-reengineering-initiative.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;documents</a>&nbsp;from last week show plans for acquiring and renovating 16 processing sites that hold up to 1,500 people each and eight detention centers that hold up to 10,000 each, for a total capacity of 92,600 beds. The agency also has plans for some 150 new leases and office expansions across the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-expansion-across-us-at-heres-where-its-going-next/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us" target="_blank">Wired reported</a>.But ICE’s plans to convert industrial buildings — often warehouses — into new detention facilities have recently faced fierce opposition over humanitarian and economic concerns. From Utah to Texas to Georgia, local governments have sought to block these massive facilities. But with limited legal authority, city and state officials have turned to the court of public opinion to deter private developers and the federal government.Holt, who is the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a nonpartisan organization representing the more than 1,400 leaders of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, said cities have little legal recourse over the ICE facilities.“We all have a clear, unified position that really crosses party lines,” he said, “and then we also have a clear understanding of how limited our options are.”Local leaders often cite the U.S. Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artVI-C2-1/ALDE_00013395/" target="_blank">supremacy clause</a>, which says federal laws supersede conflicting state laws. That leaves cities with limited influence over projects that could take industrial space off tax rolls, cause new strains on city services and raise serious humanitarian concerns given the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement, including the high-profile killings of two Americans in Minnesota.Facing bipartisan opposition, the out-of-state owner of the Oklahoma City warehouse ultimately decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/proposed-oklahoma-city-ice-facility-is-off-the-table/" target="_blank">end talks</a>&nbsp;of selling or leasing its warehouse to the federal government.Similar public pressure has proved effective in reversing plans in several other cities: In late January, a Canadian firm said it would not proceed with a planned sale of a Virginia warehouse after it faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/politics/ice-warehouse-detention-canada.html" target="_blank">calls for a boycott</a>&nbsp;from Canadian politicians and businesses. In Mississippi, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker announced the federal government would&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorWicker/status/2019820750900002820" target="_blank">“look elsewhere”</a>&nbsp;after he spoke with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees ICE. Wicker, a Republican who said he supports immigration enforcement, echoed local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2026/2/wicker-proposed-ice-facility-threatens-byhalia-mississippi-economy-and-infrastructure" target="_blank">economic concerns</a>&nbsp;of a project planned in Byhalia.Some officials have welcomed the new facilities: Missouri Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford has&nbsp;<a href="https://alford.house.gov/uploadedfiles/1.16.2026_ice_facility_letter.pdf" target="_blank">lobbied</a>&nbsp;to land a detention and processing center in his district. And last week, a Maryland county approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbaltv.com/article/washington-county-dhs-ice-resolution-hagerstown-detention-center/70300009" target="_blank">resolution</a>&nbsp;expressing its “full support” for ICE, which is considering purchasing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washco-md.net/news/washington-county-statement-on-u-s-department-of-homeland-security-notice-concerning-proposed-ice-facility/" target="_blank">warehouse</a>&nbsp;there, despite local protests. But most communities have fought them.Neither DHS nor ICE responded to Stateline’s questions.Holt said the discussion resembles other local development concerns where NIMBY — short for Not in My Backyard — is a common description of opponents.“There are plenty of people who are very law-and-order and supporters of law enforcement who don’t want a jail next to their house,” he said. “That’s why it’s got such broad opposition: NIMBYism is the most powerful force sometimes in American politics and nobody wants a detention center next to their home, their business or their school.”<h2>A political and legal fight</h2>After learning that ICE planned to take over a vacant warehouse within its city limits, the Kansas City Council in January swiftly approved a five-year ban on nonmunicipal detention facilities.Kansas City Council member Andrea Bough, who is also a private development attorney, said the move was both political and legal: The city wanted to send a clear signal opposing ICE facilities, but it also wants to exert its local authority over planning and zoning.She acknowledged the legal hurdle posed by the supremacy clause, but said there was enough ambiguity over the city’s ability to regulate land use that it may take the issue to the courts.“Some would say local building codes and zoning regulations do not apply to the federal government,” she said. “That’s something I think we would probably in this situation be willing to fight until we had clear guidance on that.”Following weeks of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-hudnall/article314486671.html" target="_blank">pressure</a>, the Kansas City firm that owns the 920,000-square-foot warehouse announced Thursday it was no longer “actively engaged with the U.S. Government or any other prospective purchaser,” the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article314676617.html#storylink=cpy" target="_blank">reported</a>.Jackson County, which includes portions of Kansas City and the potential detention facility, is considering a similar ban. And across the state line, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is considering a similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/wyandotte-county/article314647328.html" target="_blank">two-year moratorium</a>.But there are clear limitations on cities’ ability to stop federal projects, said Nestor Davidson, a professor who teaches land use and local government law at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.“The federal government can assert immunity from certain state and local laws, including zoning, but it’s complicated, and there are nuances,” he said.Still, Davidson said some case law has shown cities may have stronger legal footing for zoning rules that are broad and not directly targeted at specific federal government projects.“I expect to see litigation,” he said. “I think you’re going to see these conversations play out as land use fights often do: both in a legal venue and in a political venue.”<h2>Governments pressured to act</h2>Kansas City’s moratorium has sparked interest among local activists who have pressured elected officials in other cities across the country to act. But many local officials are adamant that federal law ties their hands.In a legal opinion provided to the Orlando City Council in Florida, City Attorney Mayanne Downs rejected “suggestions of actions we can supposedly take,” including moratoriums or using zoning ordinances to block ICE detention centers.“However well motivated these suggestions are, the law is very clear: ICE, as an agency of our federal government, ICE is immune from any local regulation that interferes in any way with its federal mandate,” Downs wrote to the mayor and city commissioners.ICE is reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/02/06/u-s-reps-maxwell-frost-darren-soto-tell-kristi-noem-not-to-open-ice-facility-in-central-florida/" target="_blank">considering</a>&nbsp;a new $100 million processing center in southeast Orlando.The county commission in Orange County, which includes Orlando, discussed the issue last week after receiving similar legal advice. County Commissioner Nicole Wilson said the board is even more constrained because of a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/180" target="_blank">Florida law&nbsp;</a>limiting certain local governments’ ability to regulate development through 2027.After being advised against passing a moratorium, the board agreed with Wilson’s follow-up suggestion to draft a resolution expressing its opposition. That will be considered at a future meeting.“It doesn’t sound like it has the teeth that a moratorium would have, but it essentially gives an awareness that we’ve established a position in opposition to this type of facility in Orange County,” Wilson told Stateline.An attorney by trade, Wilson said the case law regarding federal projects largely centers on disputes about post offices, which she said is not an appropriate comparison to the massive detention centers currently contemplated.“A post office has the same water consumption and sewage as probably a lot of other uses,” she said. “If you take a warehouse that was designed for 25,000 widgets and put 15,000 humans in it, you’ve got a very different set of local needs and services that are being used and being taxed and being burdened.”<h2>Working with the feds</h2>Communities have often opposed various other federal projects, such as federal courthouses. But the federal government generally takes the time to listen to local concerns and communicate building plans with communities, said Jason Klumb, a former regional administrator with the U.S. General Services Administration, which manages the federal government’s real estate.“Generally, GSA has had kind of a good neighbor approach, understanding that they have requirements for federal facilities, and some of those facilities may not always be popular,” said Klumb, an Obama appointee.But the federal government has not been shy about exerting its constitutional authority.For example, late last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/jan/31/federal-government-reconfirms-vine-street/" target="_blank">GSA announced</a>&nbsp;it would build a new $239 million federal courthouse in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/jan/31/federal-government-reconfirms-vine-street/" target="_blank">bipartisan lobbying</a>&nbsp;from city and federal officials for a different site.“The feds get what the feds want, ultimately,” Klumb said.In a statement, a GSA spokesperson declined to clarify the agency’s current role in acquiring ICE detention facilities. The statement said the agency was “following all lease procurement procedures in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”Communities have largely been left out of the administration’s immigration decision-making process.“Most of the information we have received on this facility has been through news leaks and the government has not reached out to us yet,” said Paul Micali, the town manager of Merrimack, New Hampshire.Through an open records request, the ACLU of New Hampshire&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/03/new-documents-confirm-federal-government-plans-to-put-an-ice-facility-in-merrimack/" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;that ICE was planning to convert a 43-acre warehouse property in the town of about 28,200.The federal plans were obtained from the state’s historic preservation office, which came under fire for not informing Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte of ICE’s proposal. That agency’s top official&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/09/embattled-cultural-resources-commissioner-resigns-amid-merrimack-ice-facility-fallout/" target="_blank">resigned last week</a>&nbsp;after pressure from Ayotte.Ayotte’s office did not respond to a request for comment. On Thursday, her office released documents detailing how the federal government’s&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/13/ayotte-releases-dhs-documents-about-planned-ice-detention-center-in-merrimack/" target="_blank">$158 million plan</a>&nbsp;to retrofit the property would create hundreds of long-term jobs for the region.<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/02/12/ice-director-dhs-has-worked-with-gov-ayotte-on-merrimack-immigrant-detention-center/" target="_blank">Testifying before Congress</a>&nbsp;Thursday, an ICE official said the feds will not cancel the project over local concerns.Micali said the vacant warehouse currently provides about $529,000 in annual property taxes — a substantial sum given the town’s property tax base of about $20 million.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.merrimacknh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3456/f/news/260123_town_council_letter_to_dhs_re_ice_processing_center_-_signed.pdf" target="_blank">letter to Noem</a>, the Town Council said converting the property to a tax-free federal facility would result in higher local taxes for residents. Merrimack is also concerned about potential demands for water, fire and other city services, Micali said, but can’t even begin to assess needs without more details from the feds.He’s speaking with lawyers about what options, if any, the town may have to assert local zoning power.“We’re looking at every possibility,” he said.Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.&nbsp;This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2026/02/17/communities-fight-ice-detention-centers-but-have-few-tools-to-stop-them/" target="_blank">Stateline</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kansas Reflector, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

Communities fight ICE detention centers, but have few tools to stop them

The Department of Homeland Security on Sunday walked back its decision to suspend the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program, after initially sparking confusion for travelers when it said it was temporarily halting the popular service.

WASHINGTON – After a week of being&nbsp;shutdown&nbsp;by Congressional Democrats, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it&nbsp;must take&nbsp;emergency measures to preserve&nbsp;limited&nbsp;funds&nbsp;and personnel&nbsp;to&nbsp;mitigate&nbsp;the&nbsp;national security and public&nbsp;safety damage&nbsp;at the hands of&nbsp;Congressional&nbsp;Democrats.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Democrats’ decision to put politics over public safety, for a third time this&nbsp;Congress,&nbsp;has forced the&nbsp;Department to direct its components to take the&nbsp;following&nbsp;measures effective&nbsp;at&nbsp;6 AM&nbsp;ET, February 22, 2026:&nbsp;&nbsp;

“This is the third time that Democrat&nbsp;politicians&nbsp;have&nbsp;shut down&nbsp;this&nbsp;department during&nbsp;the 119th&nbsp;Congress,” said&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security Secretary&nbsp;Kristi Noem.&nbsp;“Shutdowns have real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS&nbsp;and their families&nbsp;who go without&nbsp;a&nbsp;paycheck,&nbsp;but&nbsp;it endangers&nbsp;our national security. The American people depend on this department&nbsp;every day, and&nbsp;we are making&nbsp;tough but&nbsp;necessary workforce&nbsp;and resource&nbsp;decisions to&nbsp;mitigate the&nbsp;damage inflicted by these politicians.&nbsp;TSA and CBP&nbsp;are&nbsp;prioritizing&nbsp;the general traveling&nbsp;population at our airports and ports of entry&nbsp;and suspending&nbsp;courtesy and special privilege escorts. FEMA will&nbsp;halt all non-disaster related&nbsp;response to prioritize&nbsp;disasters. This is particularly&nbsp;important given&nbsp;this&nbsp;weekend another significant winter storm is forecast to&nbsp;impact&nbsp;the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast&nbsp;United States.”&nbsp;

A full list of&nbsp;measures being&nbsp;taken are&nbsp;below:&nbsp;&nbsp;

FEMA&nbsp;has entered emergency operating status,&nbsp;and is scaling back to bare-minimum, life-saving&nbsp;operations only.&nbsp;&nbsp;Effective 6:00 a.m. on February 22, FEMA will cease all non-essential activities and focus exclusively on immediate disaster response where there is an active threat to life, public health, or safety. As a result: &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769268628445.png" alt="Photo DHS" />
 <figcaption>Photo DHS</figcaption>
 </figure>Department of Homeland SecurityThe Department of Homeland Security on Sunday walked back its decision to suspend the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program, after initially sparking confusion for travelers when it said it was temporarily halting the popular service.----------------WASHINGTON – After a week of being&nbsp;shutdown&nbsp;by Congressional Democrats, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it&nbsp;must take&nbsp;emergency measures to preserve&nbsp;limited&nbsp;funds&nbsp;and personnel&nbsp;to&nbsp;mitigate&nbsp;the&nbsp;national security and public&nbsp;safety damage&nbsp;at the hands of&nbsp;Congressional&nbsp;Democrats.&nbsp;&nbsp;The&nbsp;Democrats’ decision to put politics over public safety, for a third time this&nbsp;Congress,&nbsp;has forced the&nbsp;Department to direct its components to take the&nbsp;following&nbsp;measures effective&nbsp;at&nbsp;6 AM&nbsp;ET, February 22, 2026:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>Halting&nbsp;all non-disaster-related&nbsp;Federal Emergency Management Agency&nbsp;(FEMA)&nbsp;response efforts to prioritize disaster response;</li><li>Ending&nbsp;Transportation&nbsp;Security Administration (TSA)&nbsp;PreCheck®&nbsp;lanes and&nbsp;Customs and Border Protection (CBP)&nbsp;Global&nbsp;Entry&nbsp;service,&nbsp;to refocus&nbsp;Department&nbsp;personnel&nbsp;on&nbsp;the majority of&nbsp;travelers; and</li><li>Suspending&nbsp;all&nbsp;courtesy and&nbsp;family&nbsp;police&nbsp;escorts at airports&nbsp;for&nbsp;Members of Congress,&nbsp;which&nbsp;is drawing staff away from the critical mission of getting passengers screened.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ol>“This is the third time that Democrat&nbsp;politicians&nbsp;have&nbsp;shut down&nbsp;this&nbsp;department during&nbsp;the 119th&nbsp;Congress,” said&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security Secretary&nbsp;Kristi Noem.&nbsp;“Shutdowns have real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS&nbsp;and their families&nbsp;who go without&nbsp;a&nbsp;paycheck,&nbsp;but&nbsp;it endangers&nbsp;our national security. The American people depend on this department&nbsp;every day, and&nbsp;we are making&nbsp;tough but&nbsp;necessary workforce&nbsp;and resource&nbsp;decisions to&nbsp;mitigate the&nbsp;damage inflicted by these politicians.&nbsp;TSA and CBP&nbsp;are&nbsp;prioritizing&nbsp;the general traveling&nbsp;population at our airports and ports of entry&nbsp;and suspending&nbsp;courtesy and special privilege escorts. FEMA will&nbsp;halt all non-disaster related&nbsp;response to prioritize&nbsp;disasters. This is particularly&nbsp;important given&nbsp;this&nbsp;weekend another significant winter storm is forecast to&nbsp;impact&nbsp;the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast&nbsp;United States.”&nbsp;A full list of&nbsp;measures being&nbsp;taken are&nbsp;below:&nbsp;&nbsp;FEMA&nbsp;FEMA&nbsp;has entered emergency operating status,&nbsp;and is scaling back to bare-minimum, life-saving&nbsp;operations only.&nbsp;&nbsp;Effective 6:00 a.m. on February 22, FEMA will cease all non-essential activities and focus exclusively on immediate disaster response where there is an active threat to life, public health, or safety. As a result: &nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Public Assistance will not move forward for ongoing or legacy disasters. FEMA will only carry out Public Assistance activities for new or recent disasters requiring immediate emergency action to protect lives or prevent catastrophic damage.</li><li>All non-emergency recovery work is paused, including project formulation, long-term recovery efforts, planning, and administrative processing that does not address an imminent threat.</li><li>Non-disaster-related activities are halted so limited personnel and resources can be redirected to urgent response operations.</li><li>New initiatives, discretionary programs, pilot efforts, and policy development are suspended until funding is restored.</li><li>Travel, deployments, and operational support are restricted to those strictly necessary to respond to active disasters and life-safety emergencies.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>These actions reflect the reality of operating without appropriations. FEMA cannot continue normal recovery operations under these conditions and must prioritize only its most critical, life-saving responsibilities. Full recovery and&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;operations will resume once funding is restored.&nbsp;TSA&nbsp;As the Transportation Security Administration enters emergency operating status, resources are being&nbsp;consolidated&nbsp;to prioritize essential security operations and focus personnel on detecting and countering threats. Effective&nbsp;at 6:00 a.m. on February 22, nonessential privileges and courtesies provided by TSA will cease.&nbsp;As a result:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>TSA&nbsp;PreCheck® lanes will be closed. All TSA&nbsp;PreCheck® members will be directed to general screening lanes to&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;our security standards and&nbsp;consolidate&nbsp;TSA’s limited personnel and resources.</li><li>All courtesy escorts, including for members of Congress, will cease. These escorts put increased strain on our officers, who must be allowed to prioritize their critical work of screening passengers.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Operations at all airports will prioritize screening of the general traveling population. Without appropriations, TSA simply cannot afford to risk overstretching our staff and weakening our security posture. Until funding is restored, all travelers should expect a process that does not sacrifice&nbsp;security, but&nbsp;refocuses TSA officers to standard screening procedures. TSA&nbsp;PreCheck® and other services will resume upon Department of Homeland Security funding being signed into law.&nbsp;CBP&nbsp;&nbsp;As of&nbsp;6:00 am on February 22,&nbsp;2026&nbsp;U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations will halt all Global Entry arrival processing at participating airports.&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Officers assigned to process Global Entry travelers will be re-assigned to process all other arriving travelers.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li><li>U.S. citizens and lawful permanent resident Global Entry Members can proceed to the properly marked primary processing lanes for arriving U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. All other Global Entry members can proceed to the properly marked visitor lanes.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li>
 </ul>