By John Hanna
The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. — When politicians and police across the country want to crack down on illegal immigration, they often reach out to the same man: a little-known Kansas attorney with an Ivy League education who is the architect behind many of the nation’s most controversial immigration laws.
Kris Kobach could not attend West Point because of diabetes, but he regards his efforts on immigration as a substitute for military service.
“They can’t call him trailer park trash, which is the kind of comment you hear about advocates on our side,” said Michael Hethmon, director of the Washington-based Immigration Reform Law Institute.
Kobach helps draft proposed laws and, after they are adopted, trains officers to enforce them. If the laws are challenged, he goes to court to defend them.
