Pictured: Gov. Reynolds during the 2024 Condition of the State address
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law yesterday (Wednesday) making illegal reentry into the state by undocumented aliens a crime in Iowa. The legislation, Senate File (SF) 2340, would lead to aggravated misdemeanor charges for an illegal alien who enters, attempts to enter, or is found within the state after having been previously excluded, deported, or removed from the United States. The crime could be elevated to a class D felony if the individual was deported due to two or more misdemeanor offenses or to a class C felony if the suspect was deported due to a prior felony conviction. The bill enables Iowa peace officers to enforce immigration law, which federal officials have historically handled. However, Reynolds says, “The Biden Administration has failed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, putting the protection and safety of Iowans at risk. 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.” The bill prohibits authorities from arresting or detaining individuals at schools, religious sites, healthcare facilities, and other similar locations. It also allows judges to permit migrants charged with illegal reentry to return to their origin country in lieu of continued prosecution and provides civil liability protections to government officials, law enforcement, and government contractors. A link to the bill’s full text is included below.
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