Iowa City activists oppose the state’s immigration law

Iowa City, Iowa – Iowan activists demonstrated against a state immigration bill that was scheduled to go into force on July 1.

The bill would enable law enforcement to bring criminal charges against individuals who have deportation orders pending against them or who have been sent away from the United States in the past.

Because of a judicial challenge, the statute is not in effect at this time.

Max Villatoro was there at the Monday night anti-SF 2340 event in Iowa City. Even though he claimed he had nothing to fear from this law, he was nonetheless present. This is due to the fact that he has already experienced the worst scenario – deportation.

“They call [it] separation of family, but I will say it’s like destruction of family,” said Villatoro.

2015 saw Villatoro’s deportation. He robbed his children of seven and a half years of their life.

“When I came back, they’re already grown up, both of them.”

With a work permit in hand, he is currently lawfully present in the United States and moving closer to becoming a permanent resident.

Those who are here lawfully but have previously been deported, such as Villatoro, are concerned that this new rule puts them at risk of being deported once more.

“It would put people at risk who have been deported or have previously been removed from the country, of being removed again,” said Yaneli Canales, Villatoro’s niece.

The law’s opponents claim that it would promote racial profiling. Although Manny Galvez claimed to be a citizen, he doesn’t think a police officer would presume that.

“It’s going to be so scary, because what they’re going to see in my face—they’re going to see my face, my skin, [and] most likely, they’re going to think I don’t have a document,” said Galvez.

Lastly, detractors repeated the judge’s decision to halt the measure, arguing that state legislation is superseded by federal immigration law.

“Iowa cannot deport people. This is a federal issue,” said Galvez.

“We need to fix the immigration situation in this country. And the best [solution] is immigration reform,” he added.

The following information was supplied by Governor Kim Reynolds’ office representative:

“As the Attorney General’s office argued, the illegal re-entry legislation does not affect those who are in the country legally. The legislation makes it a state crime, just as it is federally, to re-enter Iowa if an individual has been denied admission or deported before, or left the country while under order of deportation. Every state is now a border state because of the Biden Administration’s open border policies.”