The Iowa Senate has passed a bill that focuses on illegal immigration.

District 24 Senator Jesse Greene (R-Boone) says with the ongoing issues of illegal immigrants coming into the US via the southern border with Mexico, states have been looking for ways to reduce the numbers of these individuals within their own borders. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio an example that local law enforcement is facing with these issues.

“I’ll give you a real life situation. If a policeman pulled somebody over and it’s a car full of immigrants, that can’t speak English or whatever, but if he (the police officer) figures out that they are illegal alien(s), he just has to turn them loose on the spot. He has no recourse, unless the offense that they just committed for him to pull them over is so egregious that he has to put them into jail. Let’s say they have arrested somebody for an egregious offense and they call ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), most of the time ICE will saw that they are just to spread thin to be able to do anything and then the police have to release the illegal immigrant.”    

Green points out that Senate File 2340 would criminalize individuals who are illegal immigrants and a judge could order that individual to return to their foreign country. He adds that Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams explained situations they have been in with these same issues and expressed ways law enforcement could have as a tool in their toolbox. The bill passed 34-16 and is now in the House for consideration. Click the link below to access the legislation.

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=SF2340&ga=90