Repeal SF 2340 – Protect Ukrainian Refugees from Misguided Deportation Policies

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to repeal Iowa Senate File 2340 and to ensure that Ukrainian refugees and other vulnerable individuals are protected from the reckless consequences of this misguided legislation. SF 2340 authorizes local and state authorities to arrest and detain individuals who have been previously deported or denied entry into the U.S., bypassing federal oversight. This overreach has alarmed civil rights advocates, law enforcement agencies, and immigrant communities across Iowa. It is already facing legal challenges from the federal government, which rightfully argues that immigration enforcement is a federal jurisdiction. But beyond the legal conflict, the moral and humanitarian failures of this law are glaring. Many of the individuals who sought refuge in our state—including Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion—arrived legally under federal humanitarian programs like Uniting for Ukraine. Now, due to bureaucratic pauses and policy reversals from Washington, many face the risk of losing their legal status. SF 2340 could sweep these war survivors into detention and deportation, compounding their trauma and betraying the values of compassion and refuge that Iowa has long stood for. This law does not make us safer. It strains local law enforcement, risks racial and ethnic profiling, and criminalizes people who were invited here by our federal government. Groups like IA Nice have worked tirelessly to help Ukrainian families find stability in communities like DeWitt—only to now see them threatened by the very state that welcomed them. Iowa should not participate in a punitive dragnet that endangers the very refugees we committed to help. I call on you to: • Publicly support the repeal of SF 2340 • Sponsor or support legislation to shield Ukrainian refugees and other legal entrants from arrest and deportation under this law • Pressure Iowa’s Attorney General and Governor to suspend implementation until legal challenges are resolved We are better than this. Do not allow Iowa to become a tool of cruelty and chaos. Instead, stand with the families who fled war and chose Iowa as their place of healing and hope. I ask for your prompt response and a public commitment to reverse this dangerous policy.