Iowa Follows Texas’ Lead Approving a Bill Allowing the State to Enforce Immigration Laws
Texas’ landmark law allowing the state to arrest, detain and order illegal aliens to leave the U.S. may still be tied up in the courts, but that hasn’t stopped other states from following the Lone Star State’s lead. Iowa became the first state to follow suit, as the legislature passed S.F. 2340. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law on April 10.
Governor Reynolds hailed the legislature’s passage of the bill. “The Biden Administration has failed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, putting the protection and safety of Iowans at risk,” Gov. Reynolds said as she signed S.F. 2340. “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.”
Iowa is not the only state taking action to stem the ongoing illegal immigration crisis. Other states, including Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and South Carolina are considering similar bills of their own. Earlier this year, the Arizona Legislature passed S.B. 1231, a bill that was almost identical to Texas’ S.B. 4, but the bill was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs when it reached her desk.
Although Iowa’s law will not go into effect until July 1, and even then will likely face legal challenges, Iowa’s new law has already made an impact. CNN reported that some illegal aliens are contemplating leaving the state. A spokeswoman for the advocacy group, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, reported receiving calls from illegal aliens asking whether they should move out of state.
A young illegal alien interviewed by CNN told the news organization that she is already planning to leave Iowa. “I may not be eligible to vote, but I can vote with my feet,” she said. That is, of course, precisely the objective of laws like S.F. 2340 and Texas’ S.B. 4 law. States may not be able to prevent illegal aliens from entering the country – especially those that do not share a border with Mexico (or Canada) – but they can deter them from taking up residence within their jurisdictions as well as convince some who are already there to leave. Laws like S.F. 2340 and S.B. 4 at least alleviate some of the burdens associated with mass illegal immigration for the states that want to discourage illegal immigration.
FAIR’s State and Local Engagement Department works with state legislators all across the country who want to take meaningful action to shield their constituents from the harmful effects of large-scale illegal immigration. Our State and Local department offers advice, research, testimony and helps state lawmakers craft legislation that can withstand the inevitable legal challenges brought by the open-borders advocacy network.