Kim Reynolds signs Texas-style immigration law criminalizing 'illegal reentry' into Iowa
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Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a Texas-style immigration law allowing Iowa officers to arrest undocumented immigrants under a new crime of “illegal reentry” into the state.
The law, which takes effect on July 1, follows the Lone Star State in making it a crime to attempt to enter Iowa after already having been deported or barred from entering the United States.
“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. “Those who come into our country illegally have broken the law, yet Biden refuses to deport them. This bill gives Iowa law enforcement the power to do what he is unwilling to do: enforce immigration laws already on the books.”
Biden has asked Congress to pass a bipartisan federal immigration law that would beef up border spending and give him more authority to combat illegal immigration, but Republicans rejected it after former President Donald Trump condemned it. Reynolds agreed, saying, “We don’t need a new law.”
What is the status of the Texas immigration law?
The Texas law that serves as the model for Iowa’s legislation is blocked by the courts while a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality is decided.
The Justice Department is suing over the Texas law, arguing it unconstitutionally usurps the federal government’s authority to enforce immigration laws and could create chaos in administering the law.
Reynolds has made multiple trips to the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years as she has criticized President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
More: Kim Reynolds deploys 100+ Iowa National Guard, State Patrol officers to US-Mexico border
Iowa is deploying 10 Iowa Department of Public Safety officers and 110 Iowa National Guard soldiers to the border to support Texas’ state law enforcement and military’s immigration efforts.
Immigrant rights groups have protested the Iowa legislation at the Capitol this year and vowed to fight it through legal actions, strikes and rallies.
“From Texas to Iowa, our message is No Tengan Miedo, have no fear,” Manny Galvez, a board member of Escucha Mi Voz, said in a statement March 20 after the House passed the legislation. “We will continue to fight this unconstitutional law during rulemaking, in the courts, and on the streets. We will continue to organize to stop deportations, protect refugee children and keep families together.”
What does the Iowa law do by criminalizing ‘illegal reentry’ into the state?
The Iowa law creates a new crime of illegal reentry into the state, which applies to anyone who has previously been deported, removed or denied admission to the United States.
In most cases, the crime is an aggravated misdemeanor, which carries a two-year sentence. But it rises to a class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, in certain circumstances.
If the person is arrested for another felony, the crime becomes a class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
More: Iowa law enforcement could arrest undocumented immigrants under bill going to Reynolds' desk
For anyone convicted of illegal reentry, the judge in the case would have to enter an order requiring the convicted person to return to the country they had come from.
The law forbids law enforcement officers from arresting someone if the person is in a school, a place of worship, a health care facility, or a facility for survivors of sexual assault.
And the legislation provides legal immunity for local law enforcement and other government authorities responsible for enforcing the measure.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Reynolds signs law letting Iowa police arrest undocumented immigrants
