Sedgwick County formally requests state block illegal immigrants from WIC

Sedgwick County wants Kansas to block illegal immigrants from receiving benefits under the federal nutrition program Women, Infants and Children, or WIC.

Chairman Richard Ranzau, on behalf of the majority of Sedgwick County commissioners, wrote a letter to Susan Mosier, the secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which manages how WIC money flows across the state.

The WIC program issues checks to low-income families for foods like milk, eggs, cereal, cheese and baby formula. It also provides nutritional and breastfeeding education.

County commissioners are asking that the state “take any and all necessary actions to ensure that participation in the WIC program is limited to ‘United States citizens, nationals and qualified aliens,’” according to the letter sent Oct. 8.

That was a day after three county commissioners, Ranzau along with commissioners Karl Peterjohn and Jim Howell, expressed interest in asking the state to review its eligibility requirements. The county voted to accept a $1.94 million WIC grant on Oct. 7.

The majority of commissioners are “very concerned that the WIC program provides benefits to persons who are not citizens,” Ranzau wrote.

Commissioners Dave Unruh and Tim Norton opposed asking the state to change its rules. Unruh also sent a letter to Mosier about Ranzau’s request.

Unruh wrote that the request came from a consensus of commissioners, not from an official vote. He also wrote the county commissioners are acting against their responsibilities as Sedgwick County’s board of health.

“It is also my opinion that this 3-2 consensus is not supported by our general constituency,” Unruh wrote.

The state health department has income, residency and identity requirements for participating in the program, but not requirements for immigration or citizenship status.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment would have to submit a plan to change its eligibility requirements, says Cassie Sparks, a department spokesperson. It would apply to all 105 counties.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture would have to approve the new statewide policy as well,” Sparks said.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Sedgwick County formally requests state block illegal immigrants from WIC."