Anti-sanctuary city bill targeting cities, universities advances in Iowa House

Lawmakers advanced a bill seeking to limit cities, counties and public universities from enacting so-called "sanctuary" policies that create "safe havens" for undocumented immigrants. 

About two dozen people attended a hearing early Thursday to speak in opposition to the bill, House File 67. Nobody beyond the two Republican lawmakers who voted to advance the bill spoke in favor of the changes. 

"This bill is coming from thousands of Iowans who are demanding that our immigration laws be enforced," said Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, who led the three-person subcommittee. "And it is not mean-spirited or racist to enforce the law. This bill was not aimed at any community. It is aimed at enforcing the rule of law."

The legislation says the state, cities, counties and public universities cannot enact policies that:

• Prohibit law enforcement officials from gathering information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of individuals.
• Direct law enforcement agencies not to gather that information.
• Prohibit the communication of that information to federal law enforcement.

"The majority of immigrants that are not here legally just came here for a better life," Holt said. "They are not violent in any way shape or form or fashion. But there are also immigrants here that do have violent criminal pasts. And by definition, a sanctuary city provides a safe haven for those individuals. I am saddened that certain communities in Iowa appear to be putting ideology ahead of the safety of their own citizens, but they are."

"Sanctuary city" is a politically loaded term with a loose definition used to describe municipalities that have adopted policies limiting local cooperation with federal immigration officials in some way. 

Cities such as San Francisco have gained national attention for their sanctuary policies, especially as President Donald Trump campaigned on tougher immigration laws ahead of his election. Since taking office, Trump has issued an executive order rescinding federal money to those cities. 

In Iowa, the debate currently centers on Iowa City, where local officials recently adopted a resolution that would prevent city resources from being used to enforce federal immigration law absent a public safety threat. 

Officials there have stopped short of identifying themselves as a "sanctuary" community. But if the Trump administration were to authorize immigration raids like the 2008 raid at a meatpacking plant in Postville, for example, the city's policy would prevent its police officers or any other resources from being used in such an effort.

"While the bill is ambiguous in a number of respects, Iowa City’s recent reaffirmation that city resources will continue to be used for public safety and not the enforcement of federal immigration law ... would not be affected if this bill were to become law," Eleanor Dilkes, Iowa City's city attorney, said in an email.

What it means for universities

Josh Lehman, senior communications director for the Board of Regents, said he does not anticipate the proposed changes would have any effect on universities operating under the Regents' oversight. Iowa's public universities do not require a Social Security number or proof of citizenship before students can be admitted.

"The Board of Regents will comply with all state and federal laws," Lehman said in an email.

The leaders of the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa have joined more than 600 other university presidents and chancellors in signing a letter urging Trump to continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. That program, known as DACA, defers the deportation of qualifying young adults who were brought to the U.S. without documentation as children.

"We don’t establish the immigration policies. We don’t enforce them," University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld told student newspaper The Daily Iowan in December. "We’re educators. If people need help in being educated, we will help them. We don’t pass on information to other people. As far as I know, there have been no actions by the federal government in a long time of going to a campus and rounding up people."

But Monica Reyes, an undocumented immigrant who attended the University of Northern Iowa, said she still is worried about the effect this state law would have on Iowa's universities.

Reyes spoke at Thursday's subcommittee meeting to "put a face on the issue." She said she came to the U.S. as a 3-year-old with her mother and has lived in Iowa since 1996. She currently works in the Des Moines area as a mortgage lender.

"Why would we as a state and as Iowans choose to cause unbelievable damage to post-secondary schools for choosing to ... provide a safe learning environment for people like myself who are as Iowan as everyone else, except on paper?" she asked.

A number of faith leaders also weighed in, arguing that Iowans have a moral obligation to welcome immigrants, regardless of citizenship status.

“We do feel an obligation to welcome the stranger," said Tom Chapman, executive director of the Iowa Catholic Conference. "We think that should affect our public policy on this. So we should be helping immigrants provide for their families rather than making it more difficult for them.

"We certainly appreciate the right of the government. We have to have security to control our borders. But we don’t think any large-scale detention system and kind of a crackdown at the local level is going to be helpful for families.”