Rep. John Carmichael, D-Wichita, said he thinks Kobach may be in for a disappointment.
He said there are many examples of judges appointed by Republican or Democratic presidents who “leave their partisan politics behind” when they ascend to the federal court bench. He said most of Kobach’s losses on the proof-of-citizenship law he wrote for Kansas have come at the hands of judges appointed by Republicans.
As for mass deportation, Carmichael said there are really two groups at issue: urban undocumented workers who are deeply integrated into their community and often the parents of citizen children, and unskilled workers who staff the undesirable occupations in meat-packing and other agricultural pursuits in western Kansas.
“I certainly hope we don’t have ‘papers please’ checkpoints or door-to-door searches for undocumented workers,” he said. “That could cause disruption in urban areas.”
And in rural communities, “If we suddenly deported those (undocumented) folks, it would have a terrible effect on those (agricultural) communities and those businesses.”
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Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat awarded a new two-year term, said he was more optimistic, pegging the anticipated gain among Democrats at 10 to 20 seats in the House. He said success of Democrats would help determine whether moderate Rep. Russell Jennings, R-Lakin, or conservatives Rep. Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, or House Majority Leader Jene Vickrey, R-Louisburg, can become House speaker.