Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach reportedly demanded the White House provide him access to a jet 24 hours a day and an office in the West Wing should he take on the “immigration czar” position President Trump is considering creating.
The New York Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported on Monday that the demands came as part of a list of conditions Kobach submitted to the White House regarding the job. Among other things, Kobach asked for a promise that Trump would eventually nominate him to become Homeland Security secretary unless he wanted to stay in the role.
{mosads}He said he would need to be the principal spokesperson for issues related to immigration and that Cabinet secretaries with expertise on the issue would need to defer to him.
Kobach, who narrowly lost to Gov. Laura Kelly (D) in Kansas’s 2018 gubernatorial election, reportedly requested the jet for travel to the border as well as trips to Kansas on the weekends. The list of conditions, which also called for so-called walk-in privileges to the Oval Office, was submitted in recent weeks as he talked about his potential interest in the role, the Times reported.
The White House declined to comment to the Times about the list. Kobach did not respond to requests for comment from the Times. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
Trump has reportedly been considering appointing an “immigration czar” to coordinate his border policies across federal agencies. The Associated Press reported in April that Kobach was among the people Trump was considering for the job.
Kobach served as secretary of state in Kansas between 2011 and January 2018. He also was picked by Trump in 2016 to be vice chairman of an election integrity commission, which was disbanded just two years later.
The commission failed to produce evidence to substantiate the president’s claim that millions of people cast illegal votes in the 2016 presidential election.
Kobach, who has been a champion of hard-line immigration policies, also gained attention as a possible Homeland Security secretary nominee earlier this year. Trump met with Kobach about the possibility of replacing former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen earlier this year, according to the Times.
People familiar with the matter told the Times that Kobach showed Trump a comprehensive plan on how to crack down on asylum-seekers trying to enter the U.S. during the meeting. But Trump didn’t feel strongly that Kobach could be confirmed by the Senate for the job.