A federal judge recently upheld a court ruling that stops an Iowa immigration bill from coming into effect. This happened about a month ago. The ruling is part of an ongoing battle in Iowa over tightening its immigration laws.
Last year, the Iowa Legislature passed Senate File 2340. This bill would have made it a new crime for people who were deported to enter the country illegally again. This included children, even if they had permission to be in the U.S.
Veronica Lorsen Fowler, the Communications Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, said the bill was unconstitutional. She also said that if the law had gone into effect, it would have set a dangerous example.
Lorsen Fowler said, “The bill gives the power of enforcement from the federal government to local law enforcement. At first, this might seem like a good idea. But immigration law is very complex.” She added that if the bill had become law, it would have gone against federal rules about enforcing immigration laws. Iowa is one of a few states trying to make their immigration policies stronger. Stricter border enforcement was one of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises.
Lorsen Fowler said that the judge putting the law on hold is good news for Iowa’s immigrant families. They no longer have to live in fear. She also said that this is beneficial for the communities where these families live.
She explained, “Many law enforcement officials have said that if the aim is to make our communities safer, this law doesn’t achieve that. In fact, it has the opposite effect. When immigrant communities are afraid, they won’t report crimes.” Immigrants are scared of being deported if they contact the police. Now that Senate File 2340 is on hold, this fear has been reduced.
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