The Justice Department warned Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, on Thursday that it would sue the state if it enforces an immigration law that bans migrants from being in the state if they have an outstanding deportation order, or if they were denied entry to the country.
Iowa’s SF 2340 was signed by Reynolds last month, and criminalizes a person’s being in the state if they were previously not allowed in the United States, or if they currently have deportation orders. If arrested and convicted, a judge can have the individual deported back to their home country. But if the person is not deported, they could be sentenced to two years in prison if its classified as a misdemeanor, or up to 10 years if its a felony and they have been arrested before.
