Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law Wednesday allowing Iowa law enforcement to arrest individuals present in the country illegally, and requiring judges to order deportations for people convicted of illegal entry.
“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,” said Gov. Reynolds in a statement.
The bill applies to any illegal alien who is discovered entering or inside Iowa who was previously deported or barred from entering the country.
In general, the new crime, “illegal reentry,” is considered a misdemeanor, but various additional factors can bring it up to felony status.
If, for example, the person was originally deported for committing a felony and has since re-entered, they would be guilty of another, Class C felony under the new law.
The illegal alien would be guilty of an additional felony if he or she refused to comply with the deportation order issued following the first conviction.
The Iowa bill comes as a similar law has been the subject of significant controversy in Texas and Washington, D.C.
[RELATED: Courts Continue to Vacillate on Texas Law Enforcement Arresting Illegals…]
The Texas law allows local law enforcement to arrest people in the state illegally, and came in response to the Biden Administration’s continuing refusal to enforce existing federal immigration laws.
That law, Senate Bill 4 (SB4), is currently on hold following multiple rulings against Texas in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Given the numerous rulings against Texas’ attempts to enforce immigration laws, it is likely that similar rulings will be enforced against Iowa.
Never happen here–We can not even keep pot out of the woods.