Iowa will face legal consequences if it enforces a recently passed immigration law that prohibits people from being in the state if they were previously denied entry into the United States, the Des Moines Register reported.
The Department of Justice has informed Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird that it will sue the state by May 7 if Senate File 2340 is enforced.
In April, Reynolds signed the bill into law to make it a state crime to be in Iowa if an individual had previously been denied admission or removed from the United States. At the time, Reynolds said, 'This bill gives Iowa law enforcement the power to do what he is unwilling to do: enforce immigration laws already on the books."
Principal Deputy Assistant General Brian Boynton wrote for the DOJ that the government "intends to bring a lawsuit to enforce the supremacy of federal law."
"SF 2340 is preempted by federal law and violates the United States Constitution," Boynton's letter reads.
Reynolds publicly responded to the federal threats in a post on X, "The only reason we had to pass this law is because the Biden Administration refuses to enforce the laws already on the books. I have a duty to protect the citizens of Iowa. Unlike the federal government, we will respect the rule of law and enforce it."
Bird was unmoved by the government's threats as well, saying in a statement, "Iowa will not back down.
"Not only has Biden refused to enforce federal immigration laws and secure our border, he is now threatening to block states like Iowa from enforcing our own laws," Bird said.
"Our message to Biden is this: Iowa will not back down and stand by as our state's safety hangs in the balance. If Biden refuses to stop the border invasion and keep our communities safe, Iowa will do the job for him."
Prior to the passing of the law in March, Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert told The Associated Press, "Simply stated, not only do we not have the resources to assume this additional task, we don't even have the ability to perform this function."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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