Protesters demonstrate outside Joni Ernst event honoring late veteran in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - About a dozen Iowans seeking better treatment for asylum-seekers silently protested Sunday outside Sen. Joni Ernst's private event honoring a late Vietnam veteran.

Protesters outside the Cedar Rapids Public Library held cardboard signs designed to resemble asylum-seeking children's jail cells at the U.S.-Mexico border. Other signs read, 'Keep families united,” and, 'Only this kid should be caged,” with a balloon replica of President Donald Trump in a small metal cage. Other signs criticized the deportation of immigrants who have served in the U.S. military.

When protesters confronted Ernst after the event, she ignored them.

'We're hoping (Ernst) sees our signs and hears our plea to stop the cruelty happening at the borders,” said Angie Weiland, who led the protest. 'This is a Donald Trump policy, and (Ernst) needs to show Republicans in Iowa that she doesn't believe in everything this cruel president is doing.”

Ernst said she wants to focus on 'the right path forward” on immigration and pointed to 'a very, very good bipartisan bill” passed last week in the Senate providing hygiene, medicine and food items to families detained at the border. She described the situation at the border as 'a humanitarian crisis” and said she wants legislation requiring asylum-seekers to apply for asylum in 'their home communities.”

She said she 'hasn't heard of (deportations of veterans) happening” but would be 'very concerned if that was happening.”

The Government Accountability Office in a June 6 report found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement hasn't followed its own policies regarding veterans who are not citizens, making it impossible to know how many have been deported.

Ernst criticized the group for protesting outside an event for a deceased veteran when she had other events scheduled Sunday at the Linn County Fair and the Benton County Fair.

'Today should've been very much focused on the veteran's widow and the opportunity to present the medals,” Ernst said. 'When we're having such a significant opportunity as this to present medals to a veteran's widow, we want to make sure we're doing that with the utmost respect.”

Weiland said the group has received 'very little response” at other events and stayed outside the library Sunday out of respect for the family. Ernst said staying outside was 'good” but not enough.

l Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com