(DailyVantage.com) – Kim Reynolds, the Republican governor of Iowa, has seemingly followed in Texas’ footsteps after signing a law that will allow law enforcement agents in the state to arrest and deport certain migrants.
The law basically covers migrants who have been deported from the U.S. or denied entry into the country in the past. State authorities can also arrest and deport migrants who have been issued removal orders related to misdemeanor convictions for drug-related offenses, any sort of felony conviction, and crimes against people. However, locations such as places of worship, healthcare/hospital facilities, and schools are considered “safe havens” where authorities are barred from arresting suspected illegal immigrants. Migrants detained by the state will also be given the option to undergo deportation proceedings without facing any charges.
Iowa will start to enforce the law on July 1 this year.
In a statement regarding the new law, Governor Reynolds accused the Biden administration of failing to “enforce our nation’s immigration laws,” which, in turn, the Iowa governor said that puts the “protection and safety of Iowans at risk.” She added that the measure is only meant to “enforce immigration laws already on the books.” Reynolds stressed that migrants who have crossed into the country illegally are lawbreakers and deserve to be treated as such.
The bill, SF 2340, passed muster and voting in the state legislature in March, which is controlled by the GOP.
Immigration activists, however, slammed the new law. One such organization, the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, called the law “unconstitutional,” also branding it as one of the “most extreme, discriminatory… and anti-immigrant” measures ever passed in U.S. history. The organization further claimed that even legitimate U.S. citizens and other legal residents of foreign descent could be affected by the law as many state agents who are “not trained in immigration law” would likely engage in “racial profiling and stereotyping,” which could target individuals and families who are in the country legally.
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