The following statement can be attributed to Mark Stringer, ACLU of Iowa Executive Director:
"Today is a sad day for our state. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law SF 2340, one of the most extreme, discriminatory, and unconstitutional anti-immigrant bills in the country. It’s based on a Texas law that the courts have currently blocked.
"This law, which is set to go into effect on July 1, 2024, authorizes police to arrest people based on their federal immigration status and tells Iowa judges to order someone to be deported or jailed before they have an opportunity to seek humanitarian protection that they are entitled to.
"The Iowa law enforcement and state judges tasked with authority to carry out this outrageous law are not trained in immigration law and have no proper authority to enforce it. The law encourages and facilitates racial profiling and stereotyping. It undermines—not promotes—public safety and the rule of law. It will consume already strapped state court and law enforcement resources. This law is designed to wreak havoc in Iowa families and communities; it threatens Iowans who are citizens and noncitizens alike.
"The way Iowa politicians who voted for this law are treating immigrants is heartless and out of touch with who we aspire to be as a state."
