Demonstrators can’t stop ‘sanctuary’ policy ban

DES MOINES - Nearly 100 people sang and chanted Tuesday outside a Statehouse committee room hoping to prevent lawmakers from curbing policies from local government and universities to create 'sanctuaries” for immigrants.

Despite their efforts, including disruptions that caused Iowa State Patrol officers to remove a number of them from the meeting, protesters were unable to prevent the House Public Safety Committee from voting to send House Study Bill 67 to the full House.

One lawmaker who called the bill 'as crazy as it gets” said that may not be as bad as protesters think.

'If they stop this procedure, then the bill doesn't get debated and we don't get it to the floor even to get our voice heard even more,” said Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines. 'We're with you. Trust me.”

Democrats sided with the bill's opponents on a 12-9 party-line vote.

The protesters included members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund, the Des Moines Catholic Worker community and the Central Iowa Democratic Socialists of America who packed the committee room in hopes of stopping action on the measure that would prohibit policies where state or local officials, agencies or institutions don't share information or cooperate with federal authorities in enforcing immigration laws.

However, sponsor Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, believes there is 'tremendous amount of support” for the bill.

'The people who support this effort are not the ones who are going to show up at the Statehouse,” he said. 'They are the ones who work every day, they raise their families, they don't have time to come up here.”

As lawmakers voted, demonstrators shouted, 'Stop. This is a racist bill and will destroy the lives of our friends and neighbors. It greases the wheels of Trump's deportation plan. We need safe communities, integration, not night raids and deportation.” They were escorted from the room by troopers but no arrests were made.

Holt said his bill targets illegal immigrants who are violent criminals in order to protect Iowans.

'We all know that the vast majority of people that are not in our country legally have just come here for a better life and they're contributing in a number of ways in our communities,” Holt said.

In Iowa City, the council has rejected calls it declare the community a sanctuary city, but recently did try to underscore its support for immigrants and international visitors.

Last December, University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld joined other college presidents nationwide in supporting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and 'undocumented immigrant students.”

Last week, he said the university would not give itself a 'sanctuary” label, saying it would provide students a false sense of security.

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