Iowa governor signs bill that allows for arrest of some migrants

It will be a state crime for a person to be in Iowa if previously denied admission to or removed from the United States under a bill signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday.

The law, which takes effect July 1, targets "certain aliens," according to the text of Senate File 2340. It has elevated anxiety in Iowa's immigrant communities and has prompted questions among legal experts and law enforcement on how it will be enforced. It mirrors part of a Texas law that is currently blocked in court.

In Iowa and across the country, Republican leaders have accused President Biden of neglecting his responsibilities to enforce federal immigration law, leading Republican governors to send troops to Texas and legislatures to propose a variety of state-level strategies.