Iowa will appeal injunction of state's immigration law

(The Center Square) - Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said she would appeal a federal court's decision to halt the enforcement of Iowa's immigration law.

The law would have made illegal immigration an aggravated misdemeanor under two circumstances: If the person has been denied admission to or has been excluded, deported, or removed from the United States or if the person was previously deported and if the person left the U.S. while under a deportation or removal order and returned. It was set to go into effect on July 1.

The Department of Justice sued to block the law and a federal judge ruled in DOJ's favor on Monday. The state is facing another challenge from the American Immigration Council, the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, and the national ACLU on behalf of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice.

Bird said the law was passed because of President Joe Biden's policies.

"Iowa never would have had to pass this law to begin with if it weren’t for Biden’s open borders," Bird said in a statement. "Rather than suing Iowa for enforcing immigration laws, he should do his duty to secure the border."

Gov. Kim Reynolds said she supports Bird's decision to appeal.

“With this injunction states are left defenseless to the ongoing crisis at our southern border," Reynolds said. "Plainly, the Biden administration is failing to do their job and enforce federal immigration laws allowing millions to enter and re-enter without any consequence or delay. I signed this bill into law to protect Iowans and our communities from the results of this border crisis: rising crime, overdose deaths, and human trafficking.”

The Oklahoma Legislature passed a similar law. The state faces a similar court challenge from the DOJ in U.S. District Court for Western Oklahoma. A separate federal court is deciding whether a state immigration law in Texas should take effect.