Iowa has joined the national debate over immigration with a new and expansive bill, which would force local governments to cooperate with federal immigration agencies or potentially lose state funding. The measure is set for a vote this week in the Legislature, which is controlled by the Republican Party. It would require law enforcement to hold someone already in jail for potential deportation if requested to do so by federal agents.
The proposal is being seen as a way to ban sanctuary cities, a term describing jurisdictions that limit their contribution to the federal enforcement of immigration laws. Although Iowa has no sanctuary cities, it has some communities with similar guidelines.
According to legal experts, holding individuals in detention for long periods and the wide scope of the bill raise issues on local control. Brooklyn College political science professor, Anna Law, who specializes in the US Constitution and immigration, said that if the bill passes, a legal challenge would be inevitable. The new bill would ban policies that do not allow local authorities to determine the legal status of those under arrest or legal detention, help federal immigration agents with the arrest of undocumented immigrants, or use any jail in Iowa as part of the work of federal agents.
The measure was passed in the last session by the Senate, which has a Republican majority. If there are no further changes, it will just need votes in the House of Representatives, which is also led by the Republican Party.