TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's work against illegal immigration for small cities across the nation cost them millions for lengthy legal battles while powering his own political rise, according to a news report.

The Kansas City Star and ProPublica account published Wednesday is based on open records requests placed with the towns Kobach represented and comes just days before the Aug. 7 Republican gubernatorial primary in which he is seeking to unseat Gov. Jeff Colyer.

The investigation credited Kobach's rise to political prominence to the attention his immigration c...