COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey this week accused Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas of offering an “open invitation for illegal aliens to come to Missouri.”

The Republican attorney general issued a vague legal threat in a letter to Lucas, arguing that his previous comments regarding Kansas City welcoming migrant workers were “wildly irresponsible.”

But the core of Bailey’s legal argument focused on Missouri laws surrounding illegal immigration, while Lucas’ comments centered on migrant workers who are in the U.S. legally.

Legal experts and Missouri Democrats who spoke with The Kansas City Star were quick to point out this discrepancy, saying that Bailey’s letter had no real legal merit. Many accused Bailey of using his office for political reasons as part of a Republican effort to draw attention to the southern border with Mexico.

“In my opinion, there’s no legal issue here for the attorney general to address at all,” said Chuck Hatfield, a Jefferson City-based attorney who worked in the attorney general’s office under Democrat Jay Nixon.

“After reading the attorney general’s letter, I don’t think he identifies anything that the mayor has done that would violate a law.”

Bailey’s legal threat followed comments Lucas made on social media saying, “All are welcome in Kansas City.” Lucas linked to an article in which he said that the Kansas City economy would benefit from workers seeking asylum or other legal status in the U.S. but who are stuck in crowded shelters in cities such as New York awaiting work permits or other documentation.

The Kansas City mayor also posted a follow up, emphasizing that he was talking about “persons who are lawfully present, with lawful work permits, and the lawful ability to come to our community.”

The Biden administration authorized expedited work permits for some eligible migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua for humanitarian reasons. People who obtain those permits are allowed to temporarily live and work in the U.S. legally.

Bailey’s letter comes as Republicans have made illegal immigration a top issue ahead of the 2024 election. Bailey has joined lawsuits related to issues at the southern border and testified in favor of impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the federal government’s handling of immigration.

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