1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I am a constituent writing with serious concern about the Iowa bill that would require state and local law enforcement to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in all circumstances. This proposal endangers Iowa residents, undermines public safety, and exposes local governments to serious legal and financial risk. The bill compels local police to comply with federal immigration detainer requests. These detainers are civil, not criminal, and courts across the country have repeatedly found that honoring them without a judicial warrant can violate the Fourth Amendment. Forcing Iowa officers to hold people beyond their lawful release time creates clear constitutional exposure for counties and cities—and shifts federal immigration liability onto local taxpayers. Mandatory ICE cooperation also weakens public safety. When local police are required to act as immigration enforcers, immigrant and mixed-status families are less likely to report crimes, serve as witnesses, or seek help. Law enforcement leaders nationwide—including major police associations—have warned that this erosion of trust makes communities less safe for everyone, not more. This bill further disrupts the proper division of authority. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. Iowa should not mandate that local officers perform federal civil enforcement duties, especially when those duties conflict with constitutional protections and drain local resources without federal reimbursement. I am asking you to publicly state on the record that this bill is unsafe, unconstitutional, and fiscally irresponsible. I also ask you to take concrete action by opposing it in committee and on the floor, and by declining to support any amendment or substitute that preserves mandatory ICE cooperation in any form. If this bill advances, secondary steps are warranted, including requesting a formal legal opinion on county liability exposure and advancing legislation that explicitly protects local governments from unfunded federal mandates and unlawful detention practices. Further harm resulting from mandatory ICE cooperation—wrongful detention, civil rights violations, and decreased crime reporting—will be foreseeable and preventable. Failure to act will make the legislature complicit in those outcomes. I am asking Iowa lawmakers to protect constitutional rights, local control, and public safety. Please oppose this bill in any form and make your position clear to your constituents.