Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signs immigration enforcement bill into law
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), signed into law a bill Wednesday that makes it illegal for someone to be in Iowa if they have been denied entry or deported from the U.S.
Reynolds is one of many Republican governors to accuse President Biden of failing to do enough to enforce federal immigration laws and take state action to respond to the record number of immigrants arriving on the U.S.Mexico border in the midst of a global humanitarian crisis.
Reynolds is one of several Republican Governors who have sent National Guard soldiers to Texas in order to help at the border.
The Iowa bill is similar to legislation passed in Texas, which authorizes state officials in Texas to arrest and deport immigrants who cross the U.S. Mexico border without legal authorization. This legislation has been put on hold until it can be challenged in court.
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Details: Under the new state law, SF2340, that will take effect in July, undocumented immigrants who are found to have entered Iowa illegally could be sentenced to up to two years of prison.
Reynolds stated in a Wednesday statement that the Biden administration has failed to enforce immigration laws across the nation, which puts Iowans’ safety and protection at risk.
“Those who enter our country illegally broke the law but Biden refuses deportation.” This bill allows Iowa law enforcement to enforce immigration laws that are already in place, which is something he refuses to do.
Mark Stringer is the executive director of ACLU of Iowa. In a statement released on Wednesday, he called the bill, “one of most extreme, unconstitutional, and discriminatory anti-immigrant laws in the United States.”
Axios did not receive a response from the Biden administration in time to comment.
