Iowa Immigration Law: Governor Kim Reynolds Signs Bill Criminalizing Certain Immigration Status

TFD – Dive into the complexities of Iowa’s immigration law as Governor Kim Reynolds signs a bill criminalizing specific immigration statuses. Understand the debates and implications surrounding deportation orders and immigration enforcement.

This week, the governor of Iowa signed a bill into law that permits law enforcement officials to detain certain unauthorized migrants, following Texas’ lead.

Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican from Iowa, signed a bill into law on Wednesday that criminalizes remaining in the state after being deported, having your immigration status refused, or having an active deportation order.

The controversial Texas law that permits state officials to detain and arrest suspected illegal immigrants is comparable to the new law, which goes into effect on July 1. That bill is presently delayed while a federal appeals court reviews its constitutionality. It also permits state judges to order the deportation of immigrants.

“Those who come into our country illegally have broken the law, yet (President Joe) Biden refuses to deport them,” Reynolds said. This bill gives Iowa law enforcement the authority to enforce existing immigration laws, something he is unwilling to do.

The Biden administration pointed to the stalled effort to pass a bipartisan border security bill in Congress as a roadblock to addressing the issue.

White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández told CNN that “Congressional Republicans chose to put partisan politics ahead of our national security and rejected what border agents have said they need.” “Republican officials should back the bipartisan border security agreement that is on the table if they genuinely care about securing our border and fixing the broken immigration system.

This election season, immigration remains a contentious topic for voters as Republicans use large numbers of illegal border crossings as a weapon against Democrats, especially Biden, and as a point of contention between the two parties over border security measures.

The legislation has been opposed by local immigrant rights organizations in Iowa, such as Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, who released the following statement online: “We know that we all belong here, Iowa is home, and we will stand together as workers, families, and allies to defend each other.”

“The definition of what ‘Iowa Nice’ should be is welcoming immigrants and refugees,” the group declared. “Governor Reynolds is failing Iowans, both newcomers and native-born.”

According to the measure, an individual detained under Iowa law would be given the choice to either accept a deportation order from a state judge or risk prosecution. According to the measure, the judge’s order would have to specify how the person would be transported to a port of entry into the United States as well as the law enforcement official or state agency in charge of supervising their removal.

The Mexican government responded to Iowa’s law by stating that it would not sit quietly by and that it intends to look into resources and legal counsel to support the defense of Mexican citizens’ rights in Iowa.