Civil rights groups are suing to block Iowa’s new “illegal reentry” immigration law

Civil rights groups sued Iowa on Thursday to block the enactment of the state’s new immigration law that criminalizes “illegal reentry.”

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleges that Senate File 2340 violates federal law and could result in anyone previously deported from the U.S. facing a prison sentence, including those legally in the country with a green license. card or asylum.

“SF 2340 sanctions state removals of people who the federal government has already authorized to reenter or remain in the United States,” the groups wrote in the complaint. “And it denies noncitizens the right to apply for federal immigration benefits, challenge removal, and seek federal relief for removal, such as asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture.”

The American Immigration Council, American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Iowa filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice. The groups are calling for a ban on the law before it comes into effect on July 1.

Officials from the groups will hold a news conference outlining the lawsuit at 1 p.m.

More: ‘Divisive and harmful’: Iowa immigrants fear racial profiling with new ‘illegal reentry’ law

SF 2340 is expected to face another federal lawsuit after the U.S. Department of Justice warned state leaders last week that they would file suit to block the law if it were to remain in effect. The Iowa law is modeled after a Texas measure that was blocked while a DOJ lawsuit was decided.

Penalties under Iowa law can range from two to 10 years in prison, and judges can order that a convicted person be returned to their country of origin.

Escucha Mi Voz Iowa, an Iowa City-based immigrant advocacy group, praised efforts to block the law in a statement before the lawsuit was filed.

“The federal government and the local groups that filed lawsuits are right. Governor Reynolds’ anti-immigrant law is unconstitutional and we will continue to fight it in the courts and on the streets,” said Ninoska Campos, member of Escucha Mi Voz Iowa. .

More: The U.S. Department of Justice warns it will file a lawsuit if Iowa tries to enforce the new immigration law

Another advocacy group, Latinx Immigrants of Iowa, has called the law “a tool used by Governor Reynolds to exploit the Latinx community for political and electoral gain while promoting racist practices against immigrants and refugees in Iowa.”

The offices of Governor Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Check back for further updates.

F. Amanda Tugade contributed reporting.

Galen Bacharier covers the Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach him at [email protected] or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared in the Des Moines Register: ACLU, civil rights groups sue to block new Iowa immigration law