KANSAS CITY—Two Kansas City men face charges for tampering with a witness on social media, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2710/Hernandez-REDACT-COMP">Eduardo V. Hernandez</a>, 22, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2712/Cerritos-FloresAdan---Complaint">Adan G. Cerritos-Flores</a>&nbsp;each face two counts of Tampering with a Witness in a Felony Prosecution.&nbsp; If convicted, they could face up to seven years in prison.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2709/Hernandez-REDACT-PC">According to court records</a>, a series of separate shootings occurred between July 12-13 and on July 16. Shots were fired into multiple occupied residences, some with juveniles inside. No injuries were reported. Last week, Antonio Lopez-Hernandez, Julian Chavarria, and Alexis Vega-Martinez were charged and taken into custody for their roles in the shootings.

Following their arrests, detectives discovered publicly visible posts on social media that were intimidating and threatening in nature toward the victims and witnesses of the shootings. The posts were made from Hernandez and Cerritos-Flores’s social media accounts.&nbsp;

Hernandez is being held on a $50,000 cash bond. Cerritos-Flores is being held on a $10,000 cash bond with CHA.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755869911733.png" alt="Hernandez photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Hernandez photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Two Kansas City men face charges for tampering with a witness on social media, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2710/Hernandez-REDACT-COMP">Eduardo V. Hernandez</a>, 22, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2712/Cerritos-FloresAdan---Complaint">Adan G. Cerritos-Flores</a>&nbsp;each face two counts of Tampering with a Witness in a Felony Prosecution.&nbsp; If convicted, they could face up to seven years in prison.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2709/Hernandez-REDACT-PC">According to court records</a>, a series of separate shootings occurred between July 12-13 and on July 16. Shots were fired into multiple occupied residences, some with juveniles inside. No injuries were reported. Last week, Antonio Lopez-Hernandez, Julian Chavarria, and Alexis Vega-Martinez were charged and taken into custody for their roles in the shootings.Following their arrests, detectives discovered publicly visible posts on social media that were intimidating and threatening in nature toward the victims and witnesses of the shootings. The posts were made from Hernandez and Cerritos-Flores’s social media accounts.&nbsp;Hernandez is being held on a $50,000 cash bond. Cerritos-Flores is being held on a $10,000 cash bond with CHA.&nbsp;

Two accused of witness tampering on social media following KC shootings 

SHAWNEE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) arrested a Topeka man for child sex crimes suspected to have occurred in Kentucky.

Just before 7a.m. on Friday, KBI agents executed a search warrant at a residence at 1932 SW Lane St. in Topeka. During the operation, KBI agents also served an arrest warrant for the resident, Justin R. Bevitt, 41, that was secured following an investigation by the Kentucky State Police, according to a media release from the KBI.

Bevitt was arrested on Kentucky charges of procuring or promoting the use of a minor, unlawful transaction with a minor in the first degree, unlawful transaction with a minor in the second degree, and distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. The charges allege Bevitt traveled to Kentucky in late July of 2025, and had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old female.

Bevitt was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Additional charges against Bevitt are pending in Kansas. Extradition is expected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755895737870.png" alt="Bevitt photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Bevitt photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) arrested a Topeka man for child sex crimes suspected to have occurred in Kentucky.Just before 7a.m. on Friday, KBI agents executed a search warrant at a residence at 1932 SW Lane St. in Topeka. During the operation, KBI agents also served an arrest warrant for the resident, Justin R. Bevitt, 41, that was secured following an investigation by the Kentucky State Police, according to a media release from the KBI.Bevitt was arrested on Kentucky charges of procuring or promoting the use of a minor, unlawful transaction with a minor in the first degree, unlawful transaction with a minor in the second degree, and distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. The charges allege Bevitt traveled to Kentucky in late July of 2025, and had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old female.Bevitt was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Additional charges against Bevitt are pending in Kansas. Extradition is expected.

KBI: 41-year-old Kan. man met a 15-year-old for sex in Kentucky

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on new allegations after an arrest.

Shortly before 5p.m. on Thursday an officer on patrol observed 44-year-old Richard Burge II walking in the 900 Block of Main Street, according to. Police Chief Mike Wilson 

Burge was taken into custody on requested charges that include four outstanding District Court warrants for failure to appear in court. 

When taken into custody he was found to be in possession of methamphetamine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755869162621.png" alt="Burge photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Burge photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on new allegations after an arrest.Shortly before 5p.m. on Thursday an officer on patrol observed 44-year-old Richard Burge II walking in the 900 Block of Main Street, according to. Police Chief Mike Wilson Burge was taken into custody on requested charges that include four outstanding District Court warrants for failure to appear in court. When taken into custody he was found to be in possession of methamphetamine.

Kan. man who keeps skipping court is caught with meth

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-justice-department-interview-053ad2ae16f31b9d7300340d5f9349c5">Jeffrey Epstein's imprisoned former girlfriend</a>&nbsp;repeatedly denied to the Justice Department witnessing any sexually inappropriate interactions with Donald Trump, according to records released Friday meant to distance the Republican president from the disgraced financer.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/maxwell-interview">Click here</a> to listen to and or read the transcripts

The Trump administration issued hundreds of pages of transcripts from interviews that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche conducted with Ghislaine Maxwell last month as the administration was scrambling to present itself as transparent amid a fierce backlash&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-pam-bondi-03fbcd024f631440f7ed62b3c6927db3">over an earlier refusal to disclose a trove of records from the sex-trafficking case.</a>

The records show Maxwell repeatedly showering Trump with praise and denying under questioning from Blanche that she had observed Trump engaged in any form of sexual behavior. The administration was presumably eager to make such denials public at a time when the president has faced questions about a long-ago friendship with Epstein and as his administration has endured continued scrutiny over its handling of evidence from the case.

The transcript disclosure represents the latest Trump administration effort to repair self-inflicted political wounds after failing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-conspiracy-theories-bondi-bongino-fbi-a143076353acbc1193cb9697e7fc4a90">deliver on expectations that its own officials had created</a>&nbsp;through conspiracy theories and bold pronouncements that never came to pass. By making public two days worth of interviews, officials appear to be hoping to at least temporarily keep at bay sustained anger from Trump’s base even as they send Congress evidence that they had previously kept from view.

“I actually never saw the President in any type of massage setting,” Maxwell said, according to the transcript. “I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way. The President was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”

Maxwell recalled knowing about Trump and possibly meeting him for the first time in 1990, when her newspaper magnate father, Robert Maxwell, was the owner of the New York Daily News.

She estimated that she hadn’t seen Trump since the mid-2000s, again in a social setting. Asked if she ever heard Epstein or anyone else say Trump “had done anything inappropriate with masseuses” or anyone else in their orbit, Maxwell replied, “Absolutely never, in any context.”

Maxwell, a onetime socialite who was convicted in 2021 of helping lure teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein, was interviewed over the course of two days last month by Blanche at a Florida courthouse.

Blanche prefaced the interview by saying Maxwell had been given limited immunity, allowing her to speak freely without fear of prosecution for anything she said. The only exceptions, he said, were if she lied or gave statements inconsistent with what she’d previously said.

After her interview,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-justice-department-prison-27d53cd22f8c53d9f2b5012cea32eb5e">Maxwell was moved from the low-security federal prison in Florida</a>&nbsp;where she had been serving a 20-year sentence to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas. Neither her lawyer nor the federal Bureau of Prisons have explained the reason for the move.

The Epstein case had long captured public attention in part because of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-documents-prince-andrew-harvey-weinstein-1e20f426af0c610db7963cdaf85c209f">wealthy financer’s social connections over the years to prominent figures</a>, including Prince Andrew, former President Bill Clinton and Trump, who has said his relationship with Epstein ended years before. Epstein was arrested in 2019 on sex-trafficking charges, accused of sexually abusing dozens of teenage girls, and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">found dead a month later in a New York jail cell in what investigators described as a suicide.</a>

The saga has consumed the Trump administration over the last month following an abrupt two-page announcement from the FBI and Justice Department that Epstein had killed himself despite conspiracy theories to the contrary, that a “client list” that Attorney General Pam Bondi had intimated was on her desk did not actually exist and that no additional documents from the high-profile investigation were suitable to be released.

The announcement produced outrage from conspiracy theorists, online sleuths and Trump supporters who had been hoping to see proof of a government coverup. That expectation was driven in part by comments from officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, who on podcasts before taking their current positions had repeatedly promoted the idea that damaging details about prominent people were being withheld.

Patel, for instance, said in at least one podcast interview before becoming director that Epstein’s “black book” was under the “direct control of the director of the FBI.”

The administration had an early stumble in February when far-right influencers were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-pam-bondi-trump-1a6af3e9fa1cfb6d267985a971a4929a">invited to the White House in February</a>&nbsp;and provided by Bondi with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified” that contained documents that had largely already been in the public domain.

After the first release fell flat, Bondi said officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI and raised expectations of forthcoming releases.

But after a weekslong review of evidence in the government’s possession, the Justice Department said last month that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and “only a fraction” of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”

Faced with fury from his base, Trump sought to quickly turn the page, shutting down questioning of Bondi about Epstein at a White House Cabinet meeting and deriding as “weaklings” supporters who he said were falling for the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.”

The kerfuffle also created bitter divisions within the administration, as Bondi and Bongino angrily clashed at a White House meeting last month. Bongino was uncharacteristically silent on social media for several days after that.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755895048179.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-justice-department-interview-053ad2ae16f31b9d7300340d5f9349c5">Jeffrey Epstein's imprisoned former girlfriend</a>&nbsp;repeatedly denied to the Justice Department witnessing any sexually inappropriate interactions with Donald Trump, according to records released Friday meant to distance the Republican president from the disgraced financer.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/maxwell-interview">Click here</a> to listen to and or read the transcriptsThe Trump administration issued hundreds of pages of transcripts from interviews that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche conducted with Ghislaine Maxwell last month as the administration was scrambling to present itself as transparent amid a fierce backlash&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-pam-bondi-03fbcd024f631440f7ed62b3c6927db3">over an earlier refusal to disclose a trove of records from the sex-trafficking case.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704416234390.png" alt="FILE — Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell AP Photo/John Minchillo" />
 <figcaption>FILE — Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell AP Photo/John Minchillo</figcaption>
 </figure>The records show Maxwell repeatedly showering Trump with praise and denying under questioning from Blanche that she had observed Trump engaged in any form of sexual behavior. The administration was presumably eager to make such denials public at a time when the president has faced questions about a long-ago friendship with Epstein and as his administration has endured continued scrutiny over its handling of evidence from the case.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump on Epstein Files: &quot;The whole Epstein thing is a Democrat hoax...Bill Clinton was on his plane and went to the island supposedly 28 times. I don&#39;t want to bring that up, frankly.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Mb9PZBT6lI">pic.twitter.com/Mb9PZBT6lI</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1958949953629200668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The transcript disclosure represents the latest Trump administration effort to repair self-inflicted political wounds after failing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-conspiracy-theories-bondi-bongino-fbi-a143076353acbc1193cb9697e7fc4a90">deliver on expectations that its own officials had created</a>&nbsp;through conspiracy theories and bold pronouncements that never came to pass. By making public two days worth of interviews, officials appear to be hoping to at least temporarily keep at bay sustained anger from Trump’s base even as they send Congress evidence that they had previously kept from view.“I actually never saw the President in any type of massage setting,” Maxwell said, according to the transcript. “I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way. The President was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”Maxwell recalled knowing about Trump and possibly meeting him for the first time in 1990, when her newspaper magnate father, Robert Maxwell, was the owner of the New York Daily News.She estimated that she hadn’t seen Trump since the mid-2000s, again in a social setting. Asked if she ever heard Epstein or anyone else say Trump “had done anything inappropriate with masseuses” or anyone else in their orbit, Maxwell replied, “Absolutely never, in any context.”Maxwell, a onetime socialite who was convicted in 2021 of helping lure teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein, was interviewed over the course of two days last month by Blanche at a Florida courthouse.Blanche prefaced the interview by saying Maxwell had been given limited immunity, allowing her to speak freely without fear of prosecution for anything she said. The only exceptions, he said, were if she lied or gave statements inconsistent with what she’d previously said.After her interview,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-justice-department-prison-27d53cd22f8c53d9f2b5012cea32eb5e">Maxwell was moved from the low-security federal prison in Florida</a>&nbsp;where she had been serving a 20-year sentence to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas. Neither her lawyer nor the federal Bureau of Prisons have explained the reason for the move.The Epstein case had long captured public attention in part because of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-documents-prince-andrew-harvey-weinstein-1e20f426af0c610db7963cdaf85c209f">wealthy financer’s social connections over the years to prominent figures</a>, including Prince Andrew, former President Bill Clinton and Trump, who has said his relationship with Epstein ended years before. Epstein was arrested in 2019 on sex-trafficking charges, accused of sexually abusing dozens of teenage girls, and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">found dead a month later in a New York jail cell in what investigators described as a suicide.</a>The saga has consumed the Trump administration over the last month following an abrupt two-page announcement from the FBI and Justice Department that Epstein had killed himself despite conspiracy theories to the contrary, that a “client list” that Attorney General Pam Bondi had intimated was on her desk did not actually exist and that no additional documents from the high-profile investigation were suitable to be released.The announcement produced outrage from conspiracy theorists, online sleuths and Trump supporters who had been hoping to see proof of a government coverup. That expectation was driven in part by comments from officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, who on podcasts before taking their current positions had repeatedly promoted the idea that damaging details about prominent people were being withheld.Patel, for instance, said in at least one podcast interview before becoming director that Epstein’s “black book” was under the “direct control of the director of the FBI.”The administration had an early stumble in February when far-right influencers were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-pam-bondi-trump-1a6af3e9fa1cfb6d267985a971a4929a">invited to the White House in February</a>&nbsp;and provided by Bondi with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified” that contained documents that had largely already been in the public domain.After the first release fell flat, Bondi said officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI and raised expectations of forthcoming releases.But after a weekslong review of evidence in the government’s possession, the Justice Department said last month that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and “only a fraction” of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”Faced with fury from his base, Trump sought to quickly turn the page, shutting down questioning of Bondi about Epstein at a White House Cabinet meeting and deriding as “weaklings” supporters who he said were falling for the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.”The kerfuffle also created bitter divisions within the administration, as Bondi and Bongino angrily clashed at a White House meeting last month. Bongino was uncharacteristically silent on social media for several days after that.

🎙Read, listen to the DOJ interview with Epstein's girlfriend

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect after ran from a car crash in Manhattan.

According to the Riley County Police Department activity report, a vehicle driven by 22-year-old Jackson Tanner of Manhattan, struck multiple parked vehicles in the 1600 Block of Houston Street in Manhattan. He ran from the area. 

Just before 10:30p.m. police arrested him&nbsp;in the 1900 block of Denison Avenue on requested charges of driving under the influence, reckless driving, failure to stop at an accident, failure to report an accident with an unattended vehicle and trespass on property with critical infrastructure.

 Tanner was issued a total bond of $3,000 and is no longer confined in the Riley County Jail.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect after ran from a car crash in Manhattan.According to the Riley County Police Department activity report, a vehicle driven by 22-year-old Jackson Tanner of Manhattan, struck multiple parked vehicles in the 1600 Block of Houston Street in Manhattan. He ran from the area. Just before 10:30p.m. police arrested him&nbsp;in the 1900 block of Denison Avenue on requested charges of driving under the influence, reckless driving, failure to stop at an accident, failure to report an accident with an unattended vehicle and trespass on property with critical infrastructure. Tanner was issued a total bond of $3,000 and is no longer confined in the Riley County Jail.

Manhattan driver accused of DUI after he ran from car accidents

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City area elementary school teacher has been charged in federal court for child pornography offenses, according to the United State's Attorney.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/media/1411761/dl?inline">Click here to read </a>the charging documents

Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 28, was charged in a three-count federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. today.&nbsp; Hernandez is charged with transportation of child pornography, production and attempted production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

Hernandez was arrested at his home during the execution of a federal search warrant.&nbsp; He remains in custody and is scheduled for his initial appearance today before a federal magistrate.

The complaint affidavit alleges that on Aug. 19, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigations received 19 CyberTipline Reports (“Cybertips”) from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”).&nbsp; NCMEC made the referral after it received disclosures from Google on August 18th&nbsp;indicating that multiple files of apparent child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to google photos by a particular account that had identifying information consistent with/to Hernandez.&nbsp;The affidavit further alleges that based upon the Cybertips, agents with the FBI sought and obtained a federal search warrant which was executed on the morning of August 20th.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Under federal statutes, transportation of child pornography carries a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, production and attempted production of child pornography carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment, and possession of child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.&nbsp; The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

The FBI is seeking to identify potential victims of Hernandez.&nbsp; If you or your child believes they were a victim of Hernandez, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI. If you are under the age of 18, please have your parent/guardian call on your behalf. Your responses are voluntary. Based on your responses, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information.

The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law.

The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

A redacted copy of the publicly filed complaint and affidavit is attached.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755865713784.png" alt="The suspect taught at Fairmount Elementary and at North Kansas City Schools Google image" />
 <figcaption>The suspect taught at Fairmount Elementary and at North Kansas City Schools Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City area elementary school teacher has been charged in federal court for child pornography offenses, according to the United State's Attorney.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/media/1411761/dl?inline">Click here to read </a>the charging documentsDennis Adlai Hernandez, 28, was charged in a three-count federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. today.&nbsp; Hernandez is charged with transportation of child pornography, production and attempted production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">The FBI is seeking to identify potential victims of Hernandez. If you or your child believes they were a victim of Hernandez, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI. If you are under the age of 18, please have your parent/guardian call on your behalf. Your responses are voluntary. Based on…&mdash; FBI Kansas City (@FBIKansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIKansasCity/status/1958638722347319689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Hernandez was arrested at his home during the execution of a federal search warrant.&nbsp; He remains in custody and is scheduled for his initial appearance today before a federal magistrate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755908167779.png" alt="Hernandez photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Hernandez photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>The complaint affidavit alleges that on Aug. 19, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigations received 19 CyberTipline Reports (“Cybertips”) from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”).&nbsp; NCMEC made the referral after it received disclosures from Google on August 18th&nbsp;indicating that multiple files of apparent child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to google photos by a particular account that had identifying information consistent with/to Hernandez.&nbsp;The affidavit further alleges that based upon the Cybertips, agents with the FBI sought and obtained a federal search warrant which was executed on the morning of August 20th.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Under federal statutes, transportation of child pornography carries a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, production and attempted production of child pornography carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment, and possession of child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.&nbsp; The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.The FBI is seeking to identify potential victims of Hernandez.&nbsp; If you or your child believes they were a victim of Hernandez, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI. If you are under the age of 18, please have your parent/guardian call on your behalf. Your responses are voluntary. Based on your responses, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information.The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law.The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.A redacted copy of the publicly filed complaint and affidavit is attached.

FBI seeks victims: 1st grade teacher filmed child porn in KC area school  

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement arrested four men earlier this month who were seeking to have sex with 14-year-old girls as part of a broader law enforcement operation to combat human trafficking occurring in communities north and east of Kansas City, according to a statement from the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff.

The following suspects have been charged with felony attempted enticement of a child.

- Nicholas M. Meisenhelter, 32, of Shawnee, Kan.

- Simon Gomez-Cruz, 22, of Kansas City, Kan. He also is under investigation by federal authorities for possible immigration law violations.

- Jorge Arguello-Benitez, 48, of Kansas City, Mo.

- Elpidio Lopez-Alonzo, 23, of Kansas City, Mo.

The suspects believed they were corresponding with a 14-year-old girl online, who turned out to be under-cover Clay County Sheriff’s Office detectives. When they attempted to meet the girl in person, deputies arrested them instead.

In the operation on Aug. 7 and 8, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office was part of a coalition of Northland law enforcement agencies who combined efforts to fight this crime. The Clay, Clinton, Platte, and Ray County sheriffs and the Kearney Police Department each hosted a proactive counter-trafficking operation in their jurisdiction. They were assisted substantially by the Cameron Police, Richmond Police, Kansas City International Airport Police, Kansas City, Kan., Police, and Riverside Police Departments, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Department of Social Services - State Technical Assistance Team, and Homeland Security Investigations. Technical assistance was provided by the Bourbon County (KS) Sheriff, Butler County (KS) Sheriff, Goodyear (AZ) Police, Greenwood County (KS) Sheriff, Mesa (AZ) Police and Peoria (AZ) Police.

This operation was designed from the beginning to reduce the demand for victimization of victim-survivors of sex trafficking in these communities, connect to and provide critical services and support to these potential victims, and especially deter any suspect attempting to prey upon children who have been enslaved by the commercial sex industry. The total results for this operation were:

- Seven suspects arrested and booked for attempting to buy sex with a child

- Three suspects arrested and booked for attempting to buy sex

- Two suspects arrested for promoting prostitution for recruiting a person to engage in prostitution. One suspect in this case was ultimately booked for kidnapping and sexual assault after excellent work by the investigators revealed additional crimes that were occurring in another jurisdiction. A victim-survivor was recovered and placed into aftercare.

- Eight potential sex trafficking survivors met with local advocates from Value Unconditional and Relentless Pursuit Outreach and Recovery, with technical assistance provided by ICTSOS, a Wichita-based anti-human-trafficking organization. Many of them are now receiving advocacy and aftercare support.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755783468996.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement arrested four men earlier this month who were seeking to have sex with 14-year-old girls as part of a broader law enforcement operation to combat human trafficking occurring in communities north and east of Kansas City, according to a statement from the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755783670897.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The following suspects have been charged with felony attempted enticement of a child.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755783436311.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>- Nicholas M. Meisenhelter, 32, of Shawnee, Kan.- Simon Gomez-Cruz, 22, of Kansas City, Kan. He also is under investigation by federal authorities for possible immigration law violations.- Jorge Arguello-Benitez, 48, of Kansas City, Mo.- Elpidio Lopez-Alonzo, 23, of Kansas City, Mo.The suspects believed they were corresponding with a 14-year-old girl online, who turned out to be under-cover Clay County Sheriff’s Office detectives. When they attempted to meet the girl in person, deputies arrested them instead.In the operation on Aug. 7 and 8, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office was part of a coalition of Northland law enforcement agencies who combined efforts to fight this crime. The Clay, Clinton, Platte, and Ray County sheriffs and the Kearney Police Department each hosted a proactive counter-trafficking operation in their jurisdiction. They were assisted substantially by the Cameron Police, Richmond Police, Kansas City International Airport Police, Kansas City, Kan., Police, and Riverside Police Departments, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Department of Social Services - State Technical Assistance Team, and Homeland Security Investigations. Technical assistance was provided by the Bourbon County (KS) Sheriff, Butler County (KS) Sheriff, Goodyear (AZ) Police, Greenwood County (KS) Sheriff, Mesa (AZ) Police and Peoria (AZ) Police.This operation was designed from the beginning to reduce the demand for victimization of victim-survivors of sex trafficking in these communities, connect to and provide critical services and support to these potential victims, and especially deter any suspect attempting to prey upon children who have been enslaved by the commercial sex industry. The total results for this operation were:- Seven suspects arrested and booked for attempting to buy sex with a child- Three suspects arrested and booked for attempting to buy sex- Two suspects arrested for promoting prostitution for recruiting a person to engage in prostitution. One suspect in this case was ultimately booked for kidnapping and sexual assault after excellent work by the investigators revealed additional crimes that were occurring in another jurisdiction. A victim-survivor was recovered and placed into aftercare.- Eight potential sex trafficking survivors met with local advocates from Value Unconditional and Relentless Pursuit Outreach and Recovery, with technical assistance provided by ICTSOS, a Wichita-based anti-human-trafficking organization. Many of them are now receiving advocacy and aftercare support.

Sex sting arrest: 2 Kan. men thought they were meeting 14-year-old

WASHINGTON (AP) —President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took a field trip Thursday to the U.S. Park Police operations facility in Washington, where he addressed about 300 National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officials and praised his military crackdown on crime and immigration in the city.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-washington-dc-federal-immigration-deportation-81e3493e73e8af1ecce47af23d9911f4">White House said there have been 630 arrests</a>, including 251 people who are in the country illegally, since Aug. 7, when Trump began ordering federal agents into the city. Trump has been ratcheting up the intensity since then, seizing control of the D.C. police department on Aug. 11 and deploying more National Guard troops, mostly from Republican-led states.

Trump suggested that operations in Washington could be drawn out and serve as a model for others around the country.

“We’re going to make it safe, and we’re going to go on to other places, but we’re going to stay here for a while,” he said.

Trump says he’ll ask Congress for money to support his DC federal intervention and plans to beautify Washington

“We’re going back to Congress for some money and we’re going to redo a lot of the pavement, the medians,” he said at the U.S. Park Service facility. “The graffiti is going to come down real fast.”

He didn’t say when he’d send the request to Congress or how much money he’ll be asking for.

Trump said he’ll be redoing parks in the city with new grass and new sprinkler systems, and replacing signage throughout the capital.

He said he knows a lot about grass because he owns a lot of golf courses.

“We have a life and grass has a life, and the grass here died about 40 years ago,” Trump said. “Let’s say, at the end of a year, this place will be maxed out in terms of beauty.”

Trump says he’s there to thank National Guard forces

Standing outside the U.S. Park Police facility as Trump arrived were approximately 300 men and women with various agencies, including DEA, ATF, US Marshals, National Guard and the FBI. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum were also on hand.

Trump said he came to thank National Guard troops, and he talked about efforts to quickly reduce crime as well as removing graffiti, fixing medians and repairing roads.

“We’re going to have the best capital ever,” he said. “It’s going to look better than it ever did.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took a field trip Thursday to the U.S. Park Police operations facility in Washington, where he addressed about 300 National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officials and praised his military crackdown on crime and immigration in the city.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“You don’t want to slip and fall like somebody else I know” 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/nfEoIsg4Ko">pic.twitter.com/nfEoIsg4Ko</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1958647055464714527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“This is a healthy, attractive looking group” 🤣 President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> thanks federal and local law enforcement helping to Make DC Safe Again 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/GmVdMyNTwR">pic.twitter.com/GmVdMyNTwR</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1958646088971559370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> personally thanks and shakes hands with federal and local law enforcement helping to Make DC Safe Again! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/c4FRxy4E7f">pic.twitter.com/c4FRxy4E7f</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1958651205309112704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on revitalizing Washington, D.C.: &quot;One of the things that we&#39;re going to be redoing is your parks... we&#39;re going to be regrassing all of your parks... It will look like Augusta. It will look like, more importantly, Trump National Golf Club — that&#39;s even better.&quot; 😂 <a href="https://t.co/4x0mbVrRjM">pic.twitter.com/4x0mbVrRjM</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1958647420557873324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> speaks to the National Guard and law enforcement in D.C.: &quot;I just want to thank everybody very much for being here... We&#39;ve had some incredible results... It&#39;s like a different place. It&#39;s like a different city. It&#39;s the capital — it&#39;s going to be the best in the world.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/vXuQ6CK86B">pic.twitter.com/vXuQ6CK86B</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1958646085192122765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-washington-dc-federal-immigration-deportation-81e3493e73e8af1ecce47af23d9911f4">White House said there have been 630 arrests</a>, including 251 people who are in the country illegally, since Aug. 7, when Trump began ordering federal agents into the city. Trump has been ratcheting up the intensity since then, seizing control of the D.C. police department on Aug. 11 and deploying more National Guard troops, mostly from Republican-led states.Trump suggested that operations in Washington could be drawn out and serve as a model for others around the country.“We’re going to make it safe, and we’re going to go on to other places, but we’re going to stay here for a while,” he said.<h2>Trump says he’ll ask Congress for money to support his DC federal intervention and plans to beautify Washington</h2>“We’re going back to Congress for some money and we’re going to redo a lot of the pavement, the medians,” he said at the U.S. Park Service facility. “The graffiti is going to come down real fast.”He didn’t say when he’d send the request to Congress or how much money he’ll be asking for.Trump said he’ll be redoing parks in the city with new grass and new sprinkler systems, and replacing signage throughout the capital.He said he knows a lot about grass because he owns a lot of golf courses.“We have a life and grass has a life, and the grass here died about 40 years ago,” Trump said. “Let’s say, at the end of a year, this place will be maxed out in terms of beauty.”<h2>Trump says he’s there to thank National Guard forces</h2>Standing outside the U.S. Park Police facility as Trump arrived were approximately 300 men and women with various agencies, including DEA, ATF, US Marshals, National Guard and the FBI. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum were also on hand.Trump said he came to thank National Guard troops, and he talked about efforts to quickly reduce crime as well as removing graffiti, fixing medians and repairing roads.“We’re going to have the best capital ever,” he said. “It’s going to look better than it ever did.”

🎥President Trump's field trip to thank police and troops in DC

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a drug bust at a Kansas home.

Based on an intensive investigation by the Brown&nbsp; County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force,&nbsp; a search warrant was applied for and granted for a residence at 645 West 13th Street in Horton, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Just after 7:30 p.m. August 19, deputies initiated the search warrant at that residence.&nbsp; Approximately 7 grams of Methamphetamine, Over 2 pounds of Marijuana, various meth pipes, bongs, marijuana pipes, scales, grinders, baggies&nbsp; and numerous&nbsp; firearms were located as well as a .22 pistol which was&nbsp; confirmed stolen out of Michigan and&nbsp; seized as evidence.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Up onconclusion of the warrant, Gayleen Koon&nbsp;&nbsp; 43 Horton was arrested on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of DrugParaphernalia, Distribution of Meth 3.5&lt;100 Grams, Distribution ofMarijuana 450 Grams&gt;30 KG and No Drug Tax Stamp.&nbsp; Horton police assisted with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755708932837.png" alt="Photos Brown Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Brown Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a drug bust at a Kansas home.Based on an intensive investigation by the Brown&nbsp; County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force,&nbsp; a search warrant was applied for and granted for a residence at 645 West 13th Street in Horton, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755708879938.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 7:30 p.m. August 19, deputies initiated the search warrant at that residence.&nbsp; Approximately 7 grams of Methamphetamine, Over 2 pounds of Marijuana, various meth pipes, bongs, marijuana pipes, scales, grinders, baggies&nbsp; and numerous&nbsp; firearms were located as well as a .22 pistol which was&nbsp; confirmed stolen out of Michigan and&nbsp; seized as evidence.&nbsp;&nbsp; <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755708861920.png" alt="Koon photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Koon photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>Up onconclusion of the warrant, Gayleen Koon&nbsp;&nbsp; 43 Horton was arrested on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of DrugParaphernalia, Distribution of Meth 3.5&lt;100 Grams, Distribution ofMarijuana 450 Grams&gt;30 KG and No Drug Tax Stamp.&nbsp; Horton police assisted with the investigation.

Deputies seize meth, marijuana and stolen gun at Kansas home

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—A suspect in Saturday’s double-homicide in the 1600 block of Washington Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas has been arrested and charged, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas Police.

With the assistance of U.S. Marshals, 119-year-old Jimi L. St. Clair,&nbsp; was taken into custody Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri. 

St. Clair, is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail awaiting extradition to Wyandotte County where he has been charged with two counts of second degree murder in the shooting deaths of&nbsp; Victor Loza, 23, Bonner Springs and Tyler Wheeler, 26, of Kansas City, Kansas.

St. Clair has also been charged with one count of attempted second degree murder for the woman who was wounded in the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755771827253.png" alt="St. Clair photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>St. Clair photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY—A suspect in Saturday’s double-homicide in the 1600 block of Washington Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas has been arrested and charged, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas Police.With the assistance of U.S. Marshals, 119-year-old Jimi L. St. Clair,&nbsp; was taken into custody Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri. St. Clair, is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail awaiting extradition to Wyandotte County where he has been charged with two counts of second degree murder in the shooting deaths of&nbsp; Victor Loza, 23, Bonner Springs and Tyler Wheeler, 26, of Kansas City, Kansas.St. Clair has also been charged with one count of attempted second degree murder for the woman who was wounded in the shooting.

U.S. Marshals help catch Kansas double-homicide suspect

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>

Black SUVs whizzing by were the first hint an immigration raid might be imminent.

A Kansas City man riding his bike along the Trolley Track Trail felt his initial fear confirmed when a Waldo area construction site came into view.

He saw handcuffed laborers, men he assumed to be Latino, being questioned by other men in tactical gear.

“My full intent was to stop and let them know that someone was watching,” said the man, who didn’t want to be&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/editorial-standards/#unnamedsources" target="_blank">publicly identified</a>.

He wasn’t the only one who saw what many assumed was an immigration raid in the heart of Waldo in mid-July.

Others shared their outrage on social media. And the man riding his bike took photos and a video that showed some of the men wore tactical gear marked U.S. Marshals Service.

The construction workers were released when a small crowd of bystanders gathered, some drawn from businesses along Wornall Road. Tensions quickly escalated as bystanders began yelling and cursing. At least one agent who identified himself as a U.S. marshal cursed back, said the man who took photos.

The incident is now part of a growing list being documented by local advocates for immigrant rights. They’re tracking dozens of possible immigration actions, watching for patterns and trying to tamp down unsubstantiated rumors before they spread.

The Waldo incident has not been confirmed as an immigration raid.

So far, only about a dozen incidents in the Kansas City area have been verified as immigration enforcement actions since President Donald Trump took office in late January, according to Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, or&nbsp;<a href="https://airrkc.org/" target="_blank">AIRR</a>.

Many more reported incidents could not be verified, or simply turned out to be someone receiving a ticket for a traffic violation, with no issues involving immigration.

Amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, civil rights advocates nationally and locally are&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/blog/2025/02/06/how-know-your-rights-workshops-are-empowering-immigrants/" target="_blank">emphasizing training</a>&nbsp;for bystanders and a heightened attention to nonviolent protests.

Janet Murguía understands that Latinos and other allies are angry about reports of federal officials arresting people at workplaces, in their homes and even when they go, as directed, to immigration court.

“But that outrage needs to be targeted in the right ways,” said Murguía, the president and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">UnidosUS</a>. “It cannot give more fuel to this administration to … bring in more law enforcement.”

UnidosUS is the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. The group held its&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/04/mass-deportation-latino-civil-rights-kansas-city-unidosus/" target="_blank">annual convention</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City Aug. 4-7.

Training in nonviolence while advocating for immigrant rights was a recurring theme during the conference.

The actions of even one rambunctious protester can quickly escalate and incite others. Often unsubstantiated rumors spread quickly via social media.

The Department of Homeland Security reports escalating numbers of attacks on federal immigration agents and other federal partners, which can include the U.S. Marshals Service.

A June&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/06/07/dhs-releases-statement-violent-rioters-assaulting-ice-officers-los-angeles-ca-and" target="_blank">DHS release</a>&nbsp;following the outbreak of protests in Los Angeles said there had been a 413% increase in assaults against federal agents from the same time last year. It also said that agents and their families had been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/07/11/anarchists-and-rioters-portland-illegally-dox-ice-officers-and-federal-law" target="_blank">doxed</a>, which has been a reason that the government has given to defend the use of face masks.

The fact that a bystander had a child present during the July arrests of 11 workers at two area El Toro Loco restaurants was also called out in a Homeland Security statement.

“ICE was carrying out a criminal federal search warrant to rescue victims of human trafficking. Extremists and activists, one with their child in tow, tried to interfere with law enforcement by storming the restaurant, calling law enforcement Nazis, and attempting to keep officers from leaving the scene,” said DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin.

“Unfortunately, these types of smears and obstruction to law enforcement operations are becoming more and more common. Our brave ICE law enforcement are facing an 830% increase in assaults against them as they carry out operations.”

Statements by Homeland Security consistently highlight the administration’s goal of targeting violent criminals.

But the government’s own data shows that&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/07/24/fewer-than-half-of-ice-arrests-under-trump-are-convicted-criminals/" target="_blank">less than half of people</a>&nbsp;arrested from late January through late June had been convicted of a crime, according to information gathered by the&nbsp;<a href="https://deportationdata.org/" target="_blank">Deportation Data Project</a>&nbsp;through Freedom of Information Act requests and analysis by news organizations like Stateline.

And among those who do have criminal convictions, for many it was for a less serious issue, like a traffic conviction.

Only 7% had been convicted of a violent crime, according to Stateline.

A person’s immigration status is a civil matter.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://airrkc.org/know-your-rights" target="_blank">training sessions</a>, Kansas City area organizers seek to redirect those who might become agitated when interacting with federal immigration agents or other law enforcement.

If a volunteer demonstrates a fervent desire to fight fascism, or to accuse people of being Nazis, they probably need to reassess before becoming involved.

There’s more at stake with local organizing than what some people who want to lend support as an ally might realize, said immigrant rights advocates and immigration attorneys.

For example, videos taken by bystanders could be useful in legal cases challenging the constitutionality of the tactics being used by federal agents during arrests.

But videos with people screaming slurs at federal agents can be less useful.

Such actions can also undercut the philosophy of nonviolence.

Civil rights struggles require a consistent, long-term strategy to succeed, said Trinidad Raj Molina, an organizer with Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation.

Dramatic actions might feel good in the moment, Molina said, but aren’t a part of strategies designed to bring significant social change.

“Being a silent observer is important,” said Molina.

Murguía is leaning into her friendship with the late&nbsp;<a href="https://civilrightstrail.com/experience/rep-john-lewis/" target="_blank">civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis</a>&nbsp;for guidance.

Through the years, she heard the Georgia congressman speak about nonviolence to groups large and small, often emphasizing lessons he learned over a lifetime fighting for voting rights, desegregation and so much more.

“I remember repeatedly hearing him say that civil disobedience requires courage,” she said. “And that the part of courage that people don’t understand is being brave enough not to respond with violence, and how critically important it is to understand the role of nonviolent civil disobedience and peaceful protests.”

UnidosUS is partnering with other national organizations like the&nbsp;<a href="https://nul.org/" target="_blank">National Urban League</a>&nbsp;to call for more immigrant rights training sessions around such disciplines and to learn from the civil rights legacy of the African American community.

<a href="https://thekingcenter.org/nonviolence365-training/" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr.</a>&nbsp;taught that nonviolence is not passive. It focuses on injustice, rather than individuals. It’s a way of life, not a tactic.

People today might not realize how much training was involved in some of the most famous civil rights actions of the 1950s, Murguía said.

Murguía is especially aware that protesters today might be goaded to react, which can then be used as a pretext for a more militarized response by government officials.

Congress recently authorized more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/big-beautiful-bill-immigration-border-security/" target="_blank">$170 billion for increased immigration enforcement</a>, which is more than the combined budgets of all other federal law enforcement agencies, Murguía said.

That point was also underscored by labor rights leader David Huerta, who said it is imperative that people who protest are disciplined and committed to nonviolence and understand how to deescalate situations.

Huerta spoke on a panel during the UnidosUS conference in Kansas City.

“When you do see violence, you have to deescalate it,” he said. “Because it can escalate so quickly.”

Huerta is president of the Service Employees International Union of California and first came to prominence through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justiceforjanitors.org/" target="_blank">Justice for Janitors</a>&nbsp;campaign.

Huerta was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seiu.org/2025/06/statement-seiu-president-april-verrett-on-david-huertas-release-from-federal-custody" target="_blank">recently arrested</a>&nbsp;during immigrant rights protests in Los Angeles, spending three days in jail before being released on bond and charged with conspiracy to impede an officer.

He said it is too easy for government officials to “flip the narrative” on people who protest immigration arrests.

“We can’t let this sense of intimidation keep us from doing what we have to do,” Huerta said. “But we definitely have to be intelligent and smart about it, and we have to be really disciplined and always engaged in nonviolence.”

AIRR doesn’t want to dissuade people from getting&nbsp;<a href="https://airrkc.org/volunteer" target="_blank">involved as allies</a>. It strives to empower immigrants, in particular.

All reported information is helpful, advocates said. For instance, AIRR has noted that more foreign cars are now being used in enforcement actions.

There are also instances of federal agents being seen driving around apartment complexes in Olathe in the early morning hours, and in neighborhoods in the Northeast section of Kansas City.

The assumption is that they might be searching for people to arrest on their way to work.

More than 2,400 people have been trained regionally in know-your-rights sessions. There are also guidelines on what to do if you believe you are witnessing a raid, including how to document it, while staying safe.

Local training sessions are similar to those made available by UnidosUS and other national organizations.

In the case of the Waldo worksite, a wrought iron fence separated the half-dozen people who tried to confront the U.S. Marshals Service.

One woman, who had come from a nearby gym, was very angry, said the man who photographed the incident.

He doesn’t regret his role. But he did worry that he might end up getting arrested as the tensions escalated.

Still, he felt an obligation to speak up as an African American, knowing that his community also had to fight for basic civil rights.

“I just felt like it’s happening right in front of my face now,” he said. “We might have kept those people from getting kidnapped.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/20/immigrant-rights-nonviolence-resistance-kansas-city/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755803884978.png" alt=" Immigrant rights advocates are advising allies to adopt nonviolent resistance in the face of the Trump administration’s escalating mass deportation campaign (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption> Immigrant rights advocates are advising allies to adopt nonviolent resistance in the face of the Trump administration’s escalating mass deportation campaign (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>Black SUVs whizzing by were the first hint an immigration raid might be imminent.A Kansas City man riding his bike along the Trolley Track Trail felt his initial fear confirmed when a Waldo area construction site came into view.He saw handcuffed laborers, men he assumed to be Latino, being questioned by other men in tactical gear.“My full intent was to stop and let them know that someone was watching,” said the man, who didn’t want to be&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/editorial-standards/#unnamedsources" target="_blank">publicly identified</a>.He wasn’t the only one who saw what many assumed was an immigration raid in the heart of Waldo in mid-July.Others shared their outrage on social media. And the man riding his bike took photos and a video that showed some of the men wore tactical gear marked U.S. Marshals Service.But was it an immigration raid?The construction workers were released when a small crowd of bystanders gathered, some drawn from businesses along Wornall Road. Tensions quickly escalated as bystanders began yelling and cursing. At least one agent who identified himself as a U.S. marshal cursed back, said the man who took photos.The incident is now part of a growing list being documented by local advocates for immigrant rights. They’re tracking dozens of possible immigration actions, watching for patterns and trying to tamp down unsubstantiated rumors before they spread.The Waldo incident has not been confirmed as an immigration raid.So far, only about a dozen incidents in the Kansas City area have been verified as immigration enforcement actions since President Donald Trump took office in late January, according to Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, or&nbsp;<a href="https://airrkc.org/" target="_blank">AIRR</a>.Many more reported incidents could not be verified, or simply turned out to be someone receiving a ticket for a traffic violation, with no issues involving immigration.<h2>The value of the ‘silent observer’</h2>Amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, civil rights advocates nationally and locally are&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/blog/2025/02/06/how-know-your-rights-workshops-are-empowering-immigrants/" target="_blank">emphasizing training</a>&nbsp;for bystanders and a heightened attention to nonviolent protests.Janet Murguía understands that Latinos and other allies are angry about reports of federal officials arresting people at workplaces, in their homes and even when they go, as directed, to immigration court.“But that outrage needs to be targeted in the right ways,” said Murguía, the president and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://unidosus.org/" target="_blank">UnidosUS</a>. “It cannot give more fuel to this administration to … bring in more law enforcement.”UnidosUS is the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. The group held its&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/04/mass-deportation-latino-civil-rights-kansas-city-unidosus/" target="_blank">annual convention</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City Aug. 4-7.Training in nonviolence while advocating for immigrant rights was a recurring theme during the conference.The actions of even one rambunctious protester can quickly escalate and incite others. Often unsubstantiated rumors spread quickly via social media.The Department of Homeland Security reports escalating numbers of attacks on federal immigration agents and other federal partners, which can include the U.S. Marshals Service.A June&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/06/07/dhs-releases-statement-violent-rioters-assaulting-ice-officers-los-angeles-ca-and" target="_blank">DHS release</a>&nbsp;following the outbreak of protests in Los Angeles said there had been a 413% increase in assaults against federal agents from the same time last year. It also said that agents and their families had been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/07/11/anarchists-and-rioters-portland-illegally-dox-ice-officers-and-federal-law" target="_blank">doxed</a>, which has been a reason that the government has given to defend the use of face masks.The fact that a bystander had a child present during the July arrests of 11 workers at two area El Toro Loco restaurants was also called out in a Homeland Security statement.“ICE was carrying out a criminal federal search warrant to rescue victims of human trafficking. Extremists and activists, one with their child in tow, tried to interfere with law enforcement by storming the restaurant, calling law enforcement Nazis, and attempting to keep officers from leaving the scene,” said DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin.“Unfortunately, these types of smears and obstruction to law enforcement operations are becoming more and more common. Our brave ICE law enforcement are facing an 830% increase in assaults against them as they carry out operations.”Statements by Homeland Security consistently highlight the administration’s goal of targeting violent criminals.But the government’s own data shows that&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/07/24/fewer-than-half-of-ice-arrests-under-trump-are-convicted-criminals/" target="_blank">less than half of people</a>&nbsp;arrested from late January through late June had been convicted of a crime, according to information gathered by the&nbsp;<a href="https://deportationdata.org/" target="_blank">Deportation Data Project</a>&nbsp;through Freedom of Information Act requests and analysis by news organizations like Stateline.And among those who do have criminal convictions, for many it was for a less serious issue, like a traffic conviction.Only 7% had been convicted of a violent crime, according to Stateline.A person’s immigration status is a civil matter.In&nbsp;<a href="https://airrkc.org/know-your-rights" target="_blank">training sessions</a>, Kansas City area organizers seek to redirect those who might become agitated when interacting with federal immigration agents or other law enforcement.If a volunteer demonstrates a fervent desire to fight fascism, or to accuse people of being Nazis, they probably need to reassess before becoming involved.There’s more at stake with local organizing than what some people who want to lend support as an ally might realize, said immigrant rights advocates and immigration attorneys.For example, videos taken by bystanders could be useful in legal cases challenging the constitutionality of the tactics being used by federal agents during arrests.But videos with people screaming slurs at federal agents can be less useful.Such actions can also undercut the philosophy of nonviolence.Civil rights struggles require a consistent, long-term strategy to succeed, said Trinidad Raj Molina, an organizer with Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation.Dramatic actions might feel good in the moment, Molina said, but aren’t a part of strategies designed to bring significant social change.“Being a silent observer is important,” said Molina.<h2>Lessons on nonviolence</h2>Murguía is leaning into her friendship with the late&nbsp;<a href="https://civilrightstrail.com/experience/rep-john-lewis/" target="_blank">civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis</a>&nbsp;for guidance.Through the years, she heard the Georgia congressman speak about nonviolence to groups large and small, often emphasizing lessons he learned over a lifetime fighting for voting rights, desegregation and so much more.“I remember repeatedly hearing him say that civil disobedience requires courage,” she said. “And that the part of courage that people don’t understand is being brave enough not to respond with violence, and how critically important it is to understand the role of nonviolent civil disobedience and peaceful protests.”UnidosUS is partnering with other national organizations like the&nbsp;<a href="https://nul.org/" target="_blank">National Urban League</a>&nbsp;to call for more immigrant rights training sessions around such disciplines and to learn from the civil rights legacy of the African American community.<a href="https://thekingcenter.org/nonviolence365-training/" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr.</a>&nbsp;taught that nonviolence is not passive. It focuses on injustice, rather than individuals. It’s a way of life, not a tactic.People today might not realize how much training was involved in some of the most famous civil rights actions of the 1950s, Murguía said.Murguía is especially aware that protesters today might be goaded to react, which can then be used as a pretext for a more militarized response by government officials.Congress recently authorized more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/big-beautiful-bill-immigration-border-security/" target="_blank">$170 billion for increased immigration enforcement</a>, which is more than the combined budgets of all other federal law enforcement agencies, Murguía said.That point was also underscored by labor rights leader David Huerta, who said it is imperative that people who protest are disciplined and committed to nonviolence and understand how to deescalate situations.Huerta spoke on a panel during the UnidosUS conference in Kansas City.“When you do see violence, you have to deescalate it,” he said. “Because it can escalate so quickly.”Huerta is president of the Service Employees International Union of California and first came to prominence through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justiceforjanitors.org/" target="_blank">Justice for Janitors</a>&nbsp;campaign.Huerta was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seiu.org/2025/06/statement-seiu-president-april-verrett-on-david-huertas-release-from-federal-custody" target="_blank">recently arrested</a>&nbsp;during immigrant rights protests in Los Angeles, spending three days in jail before being released on bond and charged with conspiracy to impede an officer.He said it is too easy for government officials to “flip the narrative” on people who protest immigration arrests.“We can’t let this sense of intimidation keep us from doing what we have to do,” Huerta said. “But we definitely have to be intelligent and smart about it, and we have to be really disciplined and always engaged in nonviolence.”AIRR doesn’t want to dissuade people from getting&nbsp;<a href="https://airrkc.org/volunteer" target="_blank">involved as allies</a>. It strives to empower immigrants, in particular.All reported information is helpful, advocates said. For instance, AIRR has noted that more foreign cars are now being used in enforcement actions.There are also instances of federal agents being seen driving around apartment complexes in Olathe in the early morning hours, and in neighborhoods in the Northeast section of Kansas City.The assumption is that they might be searching for people to arrest on their way to work.More than 2,400 people have been trained regionally in know-your-rights sessions. There are also guidelines on what to do if you believe you are witnessing a raid, including how to document it, while staying safe.Local training sessions are similar to those made available by UnidosUS and other national organizations.In the case of the Waldo worksite, a wrought iron fence separated the half-dozen people who tried to confront the U.S. Marshals Service.One woman, who had come from a nearby gym, was very angry, said the man who photographed the incident.He doesn’t regret his role. But he did worry that he might end up getting arrested as the tensions escalated.Still, he felt an obligation to speak up as an African American, knowing that his community also had to fight for basic civil rights.“I just felt like it’s happening right in front of my face now,” he said. “We might have kept those people from getting kidnapped.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/20/immigrant-rights-nonviolence-resistance-kansas-city/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

Kansas City’s immigrant rights advocates echo national call for nonviolent resistance

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged elder abuse after a Kansas woman admitted she left a 94-year-old woman in her vehicle, in extreme heat, to shop in Salina.

Just after 5:30p.m. Wednesday, police received a report of an unresponsive elderly woman sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle at the Kohl's parking lot, 2580 S 9th Street,&nbsp; in Salina, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.

Someone noticed the woman in the vehicle and walked over to see if she was okay. The window of the vehicle was down and tried to speak with the woman, who did not respond. The individual then called 9-1-1 and officers, along with EMS immediately arrived to the scene.

Police identified the woman inside the vehicle, as a 94-year old Miltonvale resident. The woman was 'not fully coherent' when EMS was speaking with her. Feldman said the woman had been inside the vehicle for 50 minutes, before authorities arrived.&nbsp;

Officers identified the registered owner of the vehicle as 67-year-old Ava Aarlene Brown of Miltonvale. They found her shopping inside Kohl's during the investigation.

Brown admitted leaving the 94-year old woman inside the vehicle. It was also determined that Brown and the 94-year-old woman are known associates. Police did not confirm if they were family.

Police arrested Brown was arrested on requested charges of Mistreatment of a Dependent Adult. EMS transported the 94-year-old&nbsp;&nbsp;to Salina Regional Health Center for medical treatment.

The heat index was 93 degrees at the time officers and EMS arrived to the scene, according to Feldman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755792764264.png" alt="Brown photo Saline County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Saline County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged elder abuse after a Kansas woman admitted she left a 94-year-old woman in her vehicle, in extreme heat, to shop in Salina.Just after 5:30p.m. Wednesday, police received a report of an unresponsive elderly woman sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle at the Kohl's parking lot, 2580 S 9th Street,&nbsp; in Salina, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.Someone noticed the woman in the vehicle and walked over to see if she was okay. The window of the vehicle was down and tried to speak with the woman, who did not respond. The individual then called 9-1-1 and officers, along with EMS immediately arrived to the scene.Police identified the woman inside the vehicle, as a 94-year old Miltonvale resident. The woman was 'not fully coherent' when EMS was speaking with her. Feldman said the woman had been inside the vehicle for 50 minutes, before authorities arrived.&nbsp;Officers identified the registered owner of the vehicle as 67-year-old Ava Aarlene Brown of Miltonvale. They found her shopping inside Kohl's during the investigation.Brown admitted leaving the 94-year old woman inside the vehicle. It was also determined that Brown and the 94-year-old woman are known associates. Police did not confirm if they were family.Police arrested Brown was arrested on requested charges of Mistreatment of a Dependent Adult. EMS transported the 94-year-old&nbsp;&nbsp;to Salina Regional Health Center for medical treatment.The heat index was 93 degrees at the time officers and EMS arrived to the scene, according to Feldman.

Police: Kan. woman left 94-year-old in hot car while she went shopping

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop in Dickinson County.

Earlier this month a KHP Trooper conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Dickinson County for speeding, according to a social media report from the KHP Troop C.

During the investigation, the driver was taken into custody for possession of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and transporting an open container of alcohol.

 A vial containing a suspected dose of PCP was also recovered and has been submitted to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for further analysis. The passenger was arrested on a felony probation violation warrant originating from Kentucky related to stolen property, with nationwide extradition. The KHP did not release the names of the suspects.

"The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kshighwayPatrol?__cft__[0]=AZUgJdFuiinvY_bj2EAn6grHxhSRMsiS0EHGzQ5e5AUKUHzcmajLgYi4Si5OkkeNzjCkvHq1kU_GBeisLYtoZe_u0gO1Jg4BSLdm--qgleOU76qfw29eDG_z3QI6N2EB1bKr_oh4WmuRZ_oi5yl00nubnOd9DieEVf4CqtQTlxgybnrGp7Lm1ipCodkImGLjZW8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol</a> remains focused on safeguarding Kansas roadways by removing dangerous substances and wanted individuals from our communities."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755773907165.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop in Dickinson County.Earlier this month a KHP Trooper conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Dickinson County for speeding, according to a social media report from the KHP Troop C.During the investigation, the driver was taken into custody for possession of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and transporting an open container of alcohol. A vial containing a suspected dose of PCP was also recovered and has been submitted to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for further analysis. The passenger was arrested on a felony probation violation warrant originating from Kentucky related to stolen property, with nationwide extradition. The KHP did not release the names of the suspects."The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kshighwayPatrol?__cft__[0]=AZUgJdFuiinvY_bj2EAn6grHxhSRMsiS0EHGzQ5e5AUKUHzcmajLgYi4Si5OkkeNzjCkvHq1kU_GBeisLYtoZe_u0gO1Jg4BSLdm--qgleOU76qfw29eDG_z3QI6N2EB1bKr_oh4WmuRZ_oi5yl00nubnOd9DieEVf4CqtQTlxgybnrGp7Lm1ipCodkImGLjZW8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas Highway Patrol</a> remains focused on safeguarding Kansas roadways by removing dangerous substances and wanted individuals from our communities."

KHP finds PCP, meth during I-70 traffic stop for speeding

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a two accidents involving a carjacking that led to a crash with a KCPD vehicle just after 2:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Police were in pursuit of a Silver BMW 640I that was taken in conjunction with an Armed Robbery/Carjacking, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

 The BMW was traveling the wrong way southbound on Askew. Askew is a one way for northbound motorists only. 

The BMW struck an unoccupied gold Buick Enclave which was parked in the 200 block of Askew and the driver continued traveling southbound on Askew without stopping. 

In the area of Anderson and Askew, the BMW entered the controlled intersection, a posted stop sign for northbound motorist,&nbsp; and was struck by a marked police Dodge Durango that was traveling Code-1 (red lights and sirens) westbound on Anderson.

After impact, the BMW continued southbound on Askew, traveling off the roadway to the right and striking a wooden light pole before coming to rest. The driver and sole occupant of the BMW was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit and was uninjured in the collision. 

The restrained officer and sole occupant of the police vehicle received non-life-threatening injuries from the collision and declined medical treatment/transport at the scene.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755770726295.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City WDAF" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City WDAF</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a two accidents involving a carjacking that led to a crash with a KCPD vehicle just after 2:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri.Police were in pursuit of a Silver BMW 640I that was taken in conjunction with an Armed Robbery/Carjacking, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. The BMW was traveling the wrong way southbound on Askew. Askew is a one way for northbound motorists only. The BMW struck an unoccupied gold Buick Enclave which was parked in the 200 block of Askew and the driver continued traveling southbound on Askew without stopping. In the area of Anderson and Askew, the BMW entered the controlled intersection, a posted stop sign for northbound motorist,&nbsp; and was struck by a marked police Dodge Durango that was traveling Code-1 (red lights and sirens) westbound on Anderson.After impact, the BMW continued southbound on Askew, traveling off the roadway to the right and striking a wooden light pole before coming to rest. The driver and sole occupant of the BMW was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit and was uninjured in the collision. The restrained officer and sole occupant of the police vehicle received non-life-threatening injuries from the collision and declined medical treatment/transport at the scene.&nbsp;

Carjacking suspect arrested after crash into KCPD SUV 

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jim-vertuno">JIM VERTUNO</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/nicholas-riccardi">NICHOLAS RICCARDI</a>

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans on Wednesday took the first step toward approving new congressional maps that would give their party as many as five new seats in the House of Representatives, spurring what’s likely to be a national battle over redistricting.

The approval by the Texas House of Representatives came at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-house-republicans-texas-redistricting-d18e8280a32872d9eefcbb26f66a0331">urging of President Donald Trump</a>, who pushed for the extraordinary mid-decade revision of congressional maps to give his party a better chance at holding onto the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. The maps need to be approved by the GOP-controlled state Senate and signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott before they become official.

But the Texas House presented the best chance for Democrats to derail the redraw.

Democratic legislators delayed the vote by two weeks by fleeing Texas earlier this month in protest, and they were assigned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-california-redistricting-battle-dc42d64df69e6d8e922a0aa72fb0a2d8">round-the-clock police monitoring</a>&nbsp;upon their return to ensure they attended Wednesday’s session.

The approval of the Texas maps on an 88-52 party-line vote is likely to prompt California’s Democratic-controlled state Legislature this week to approve of a new House map creating five new Democratic-leaning districts. But the California map would require voter approval in November.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755030421448.png" alt="Texas new Congressional District map" />
 <figcaption>Texas new Congressional District map</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jim-vertuno">JIM VERTUNO</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/nicholas-riccardi">NICHOLAS RICCARDI</a>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans on Wednesday took the first step toward approving new congressional maps that would give their party as many as five new seats in the House of Representatives, spurring what’s likely to be a national battle over redistricting.The approval by the Texas House of Representatives came at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-house-republicans-texas-redistricting-d18e8280a32872d9eefcbb26f66a0331">urging of President Donald Trump</a>, who pushed for the extraordinary mid-decade revision of congressional maps to give his party a better chance at holding onto the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. The maps need to be approved by the GOP-controlled state Senate and signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott before they become official.But the Texas House presented the best chance for Democrats to derail the redraw.Democratic legislators delayed the vote by two weeks by fleeing Texas earlier this month in protest, and they were assigned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-california-redistricting-battle-dc42d64df69e6d8e922a0aa72fb0a2d8">round-the-clock police monitoring</a>&nbsp;upon their return to ensure they attended Wednesday’s session.The approval of the Texas maps on an 88-52 party-line vote is likely to prompt California’s Democratic-controlled state Legislature this week to approve of a new House map creating five new Democratic-leaning districts. But the California map would require voter approval in November.Democrats have also vowed to challenge the new Texas map in court and complained that Republicans made the political power move before passing legislation responding to deadly floods that swept the state last month.<h2>Texas maps openly made to help GOP</h2>Texas Republicans openly said they were acting in their party’s interest. State Rep. Todd Hunter, who wrote the legislation formally creating the new map, noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed politicians to redraw districts for nakedly partisan purposes.“The underlying goal of this plan is straight forward: improve Republican political performance,” Hunter, a Republican, said on the floor. After nearly eight hours of debate, Hunter took the floor again to sum up the entire dispute as nothing more than a partisan fight. “What’s the difference, to the whole world listening? Republicans like it, and Democrats do not.”Democrats said the disagreement was about more than partisanship.“In a democracy, people choose their representatives,” State Rep. Chris Turner said. “This bill flips that on its head and lets politicians in Washington, D.C., choose their voters.”State Rep. John H. Bucy blamed the president. “This is Donald Trump’s map,” Bucy said. “It clearly and deliberately manufactures five more Republican seats in Congress because Trump himself knows that the voters are rejecting his agenda.”<h2>Redistricting becomes tool nationwide in battle for US House</h2>The Republican power play has already triggered a national tit-for-tat battle as Democratic state lawmakers prepared to gather in California on Thursday to revise that state’s map to create five new Democratic seats.“This is a new Democratic Party, this is a new day, this is new energy out there all across this country,” California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said on a call with reporters on Wednesday. “And we’re going to fight fire with fire.”A new California map would need to be approved by voters in a special election in November because that state normally operates with a nonpartisan commission drawing the map to avoid the very sort of political brawl that is playing out. Newsom himself backed the 2008 ballot measure to create that process, as did former President Barack Obama. But in a sign of Democrats’ stiffening resolve, Obama Tuesday night&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obama-newsom-redistricting-texas-democrats-house-midterms-26ef7d0ccb44e57a5ddc36ff99f7de9c">backed Newsom’s bid to redraw the California map</a>, saying it was a necessary step to stave off the GOP’s Texas move.“I think that approach is a smart, measured approach,” Obama said during a fundraiser for the Democratic Party’s main redistricting arm.The incumbent president’s party usually loses seats in the midterm election, and the GOP currently controls the House of Representatives by a mere three votes. Trump is going beyond Texas in his push to remake the map. He’s pushed Republican leaders in conservative states like Indiana and Missouri to also try to create new Republican seats. Ohio Republicans were already revising their map before Texas moved. Democrats, meanwhile, are mulling reopening Maryland’s and New York’s maps as well.However, more Democratic-run states have commission systems like California’s or other redistricting limits than Republican ones do, leaving the GOP with a freer hand to swiftly redraw maps. New York, for example, can’t draw new maps until 2028, and even then, only with voter approval.<h2>Texas Democrats decry the new maps</h2>In Texas, there was little that outnumbered Democrats could do other than fume and threaten a lawsuit to block the map. Because the Supreme Court has blessed purely partisan gerrymandering, the only way opponents can stop the new Texas map would be by arguing it violates the Voting Rights Act requirement to keep minority communities together so they can select representatives of their choice.Democrats noted that, in every decade since the 1970s, courts have found that Texas’ legislature did violate the Voting Rights Act in redistricting, and that civil rights groups had an active lawsuit making similar allegations against the 2021 map that Republicans drew up.Republicans contend the new map creates more new majority-minority seats than the previous one. Democrats and some civil rights groups have countered that the GOP does that through mainly a numbers game that leads to halving the number of the state’s House seats that will be represented by a Black representative.State Rep. Ron Reynolds noted the country just marked the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act’s passage and warned GOP members about how they’d be remembered if they voted for what he called “this racial gerrymander.”“Just like the people who were on the wrong side of history in 1965, history will be looking at the people who made the decisions in the body this day,” Reynolds, a Democrat, said.<h2>Republicans hit back at criticism</h2>Republicans spent far less time talking on Wednesday, content to let their numbers do the talking in the lopsided vote. As the day dragged on, a handful hit back against Democratic complaints.“You call my voters racist, you call my party racist and yet we’re expected to follow the rules,” said State Rep. Katrina Pierson, a former Trump spokesperson. “There are Black and Hispanic and Asian Republicans in this chamber who were elected just like you.”House Republicans’ frustration at the Democrats’ flight and ability to delay the vote was palpable. The GOP used a parliamentary maneuver to take a second and final vote on the map so it wouldn’t have to reconvene for one more vote after Senate approval.House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced as debate started that doors to the chamber were locked and any member leaving was required to have a permission slip. The doors were only unlocked after final passage more than eight hours later. One Democrat who refused the 24-hour police monitoring, State Rep. Nicole Collier, had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-nicole-collier-capitol-protest-10f8e3f721a507237d5272ccd1b2f81b">confined to the House floor since Monday night</a>.Some Democratic state lawmakers joined Collier Tuesday night for what Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez dubbed “a sleepover for democracy.”Republicans issued civil arrest warrants to bring the Democrats back after they left the state Aug. 3, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott asked the state Supreme Court to oust several Democrats from office. The lawmakers also face a fine of $500 for every day they were absent.___Riccardi reported from Denver. John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.