Iowa City to continue debate of local immigration policies

IOWA CITY - The City Council appears ready to take action to make Iowa City a more welcoming place for immigrants, but to what extent remains to be determined.

The council met last night with the city's Human Rights Commission. The commission, asked earlier this year to explore immigration issues, recently offered nine recommendations it wants the city to take related to both legal and illegal immigrants.

The meeting, during the council's work session, served more as an opportunity to review the recommendations rather than a time to debate them. Still, some proposals did seem to gain favor, while others were questioned. (View the full list here.)

For example, a few council members said they thought it would be a good idea to clarify what types of identification are required for city services. Commission members said there can be an unintended negative impact in asking someone for a driver's license as opposed to a government-issued identification card. Council member Ross Wilburn said asking for certain documents, even if they aren't required, can become habitual over time.

There were more questions, however, on a recommendation to create a committee to hear concerns from the immigrant community. Council members said they already have problems filling out committees and wondered why the Human Rights Commission - nine volunteers appointed by the council - could not suffice.

Commission Chairwoman Dianne Day said immigrants are often reluctant to come forward to the city or council.

Mayor Matt Hayek said he had concerns about a recommendation for the council to issue a proclamation that, among other things, calls on the federal government to reform immigration policies. He said there's a difference between a council member's personal views and having the city pass judgment on the federal government.

“It could create precedents we don't fully appreciate,” he said.

The council asked city staff to research the issues, and members will discuss them again at a future meeting. Commission members want the recommendations voted on before a new council is seated early next year.

Immigration policies first came up early this year when the city was asked to adopt sanctuary city status, which typically means city employees do not ask about immigration status or enforce federal immigration laws.

But the council thought such a policy would be ineffective because of a federal program called Secure Communities, which has been implemented in Johnson County, in which the fingerprints of someone booked into jail are checked against federal immigration records. That means Iowa City participates in immigration investigations.