Iowa governor signs law enabling police to arrest and deport illegal aliens
The new measure allows state authorities to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law on Wednesday a controversial immigration enforcement bill that authorizes state authorities to arrest and initiate deportation proceedings against immigrants living illegally in Iowa who had previously been deported or denied admission to the United States.
The Republican governor portrayed the new statute as a necessary countermeasure to the Biden administration's purported lax enforcement of federal immigration laws, arguing it will enhance safety for Iowans. "The Biden Administration has failed to enforce our nation's immigration laws, putting the protection and safety of Iowans at risk," Reynolds said in a statement
Under the law taking effect July 1, immigrants who re-enter Iowa illegally after a prior deportation could face up to two years' imprisonment for the state crime of "illegal reentry." Those arrested for another felony offense would be guilty of a more serious Class C felony carrying up to 10 years behind bars. The law requires judges to issue removal orders for any person convicted of illegal entry, the Daily Wire reports.
While the Republican-controlled legislature approved the measure largely along party lines, some Democrats also backed its passage. Supporters argue states must fill the enforcement void left by lax border policies, citing record levels of migrant encounters reported by federal agents.
However, critics condemned the law as unconstitutional and discriminatory, suggesting it sows confusion and fear among immigrant communities. "This law ignores the fact of federal preemption, and it's purely a political stunt meant to drive fear," said Erica Johnson of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa branded it "one of the most extreme, discriminatory, and unconstitutional anti-immigrant bills in the country" and warned it would inevitably face legal challenges akin to those impeding a similar Texas law enabling state arrests for illegal entry.
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