Judge Blocks Iowa’s Attempt to Enforce Its Own Immigration Law
18th June 2024
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked Iowa from enforcing its own immigration law, which makes it a state crime to enter Iowa after being deported or denied entry into the United States.
The ruling comes amid a national push by statehouse conservatives to assert authority over illegal immigration, which the Justice Department argues is solely the federal government’s responsibility.
“As a matter of politics, the new legislation might be defensible,” Judge Stephen Locher wrote. “As a matter of constitutional law, it is not.”
The doctrine involved is ‘pre-emption‘. This is why, when activists try to get control over people’s lives, they prefer to do it at the Federal level.