Liberals are furious with Iowa’s Republicans for passing law that at least partially obstructs President Biden’s non stop flow of illegal immigrants. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a protection law that constituents really liked. Iowa is rural. They do a lot of meat packing, utilizing immigrant labor. But it’s a double edged sword. Immigrant presence suppresses wages statewide and drives up local rents.
The state is midwest
Their needs are different from Washington, DC. Retail workers earn about $39,000 per year in Storm Lake where meat cutters earn a little under $16 an hour.
The Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice is a government funded advocacy group for illegals. The group called what Reynolds did a “ridiculous political stunt”.
Residents wanted this law
The Iowa Migrant Movement complained,
“Welcoming immigrants and refugees is the definition of what “Iowa Nice” should be … Iowa politicians moved this ridiculous stunt forward in an election year in order to perpetuate partisan campaign rhetoric, drive fear in immigrant communities and mobilize voters using fear and anti-immigrant sentiment. Immigrants’ rights organizations are ready to fight back and work to block this unconstitutional law from going into effect. We know that we all belong here, Iowa is home, and we will stand together as workers, families and allies to defend each other.”
Reynolds signed the bill on April 10 and said,
“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 new Iowa law
It allows officials, police and judges, to pressure immigrants to leave the state but it doesn’t block the Biden illegals from getting questionable work permits. The administration wants them here and makes the process easier.
This law is similar to a Texas law. Rasmussen reports it’s very popular.
“73% of Likely Iowa Voters believe the state should mandate that all employers use the federal electronic E-Verify system to help ensure that they hire only legal workers for U.S. jobs. Only 14% oppose mandating E-Verify, while another 10% are not sure … The survey of 925 Iowa Likely Voters was conducted on April 5-9, 2023 by Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA.”
