What is the new law against immigrants in Iowa and when will it be enforced?

As the Supreme Court examines the constitutionality of the controversial SB4 law in Texas, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is following in the footsteps of her counterpart in the Lone Star State, Greg Abbott, and signed a new law against the immigrant community.

According to the provisions of the new legislation, any person who is within the state and has previously been prohibited from entering the country, or has a previous record of deportation, would be committing a state crime. In other words, the law allows the arrest of immigrants who have pending deportation orders and who have had problems with immigration authorities in the past.

What is the new law against immigrants in Iowa?

According to the law, once immigrants are arrested, they will have two options: accept a judge’s order to leave the country or be prosecuted. In the first option, the judge is required to present a method of transportation for the detained person to leave the country, as well as provide a police officer or a state agency to supervise the immigrant’s departure from the country. Those who resist leaving could face more serious charges.

Although the new law requires the state to identify the transportation method and provide supervision by a police officer, deportation is still a federal process, so the new legislation in Iowa could present various legal challenges, like Texas’ SB4, which is stalled in the Supreme Court after being challenged by the United States Department of Justice.

When does the new anti-immigrant law go into effect in Iowa?

Since the bill has already been approved and signed by Reynolds, the law will go into effect in Iowa starting July 1, 2024, unless the Department of Justice rules on the matter as it did with Texas and requests a review before the highest court in the United States. The law itself represents a conflict with the immigration authority of the federal government, so this is likely to happen.