Prairie Village Residents Fight ICE Facility

0:00It's April 15th. Welcome to Kansas News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. A new group called People for Prairie Village just formed in this Johnson County city after a local developer, Flint development, sold 60 acres of land to the US, Department of Homeland Security. They got $123 million for it, and the spot set to become a huge immigration and customs enforcement facility near L. Paso, Texas, holding up to 8,500 people. Folks like co-founder Jamie Greason say this sale was the final straw, pushing them to rally residents for peaceful protests and push inclusive policies. Their slogan is, get with the action, aiming to link everyday life with politics in this mostly white, wealthy suburb where impacts often feel distant. Residents are stepping up amid local tensions, like debates over housing, budgets, and a community center that sparked conservative groups such as PV.

1:00United and preserve Prairie Village. Those outfits back candidates in the 2023 and 2025 elections flipping the city council once before getting. Push back? In the latest vote last year, Prairie Village rejected those far-right picks and a push to change the city's government setup, giving progressives a boost to unite, Greason and others like Renee Duval joined to channel frustrations into positive action against national and local divides. The city adopted a solidarity resolution back in February after ICE-A shootings in Minneapolis and protesters asked council to cut ties with Flint. So far, no formal outreach from the group to officials, but they're keeping the pressure on to build resilient community ties.