Kansas Legislature overrode veto to enact 25-foot police buffer law and expanded local ICE detention authority

On April 10, 2026, Kansas Republican legislators overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto to enact House Bill 2372, known as the Halo Act, making it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail to come within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer or first responder performing official duties. Senate President Ty Masterson said the law, effective July 1, 2026, was meant to prevent unrest like that in Minnesota, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers injured and killed bystanders while detaining immigrants, and described it as protection against "radical protesters."

The bill also authorized Kansas sheriffs to detain individuals on ICE detainer requests and sign federal immigration-enforcement contracts without county-commission approval, and required municipal insurance pools to cover officers enforcing federal law. Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, called the 25-foot buffer government overreach, noting that laws already barred interference with law enforcement and warning the measure was likely unconstitutional. Democratic Rep. Heather Meyer said the bill also eliminated a prior 48-hour limit on local detention pending ICE pickup, permitting indefinite holds without judicial warrant.