Immigrant advocates, Johnson Co. ID supporters oppose Iowa bill that would ban local ID cards

DES MOINES — Identification cards issued by cities and counties would be prohibited under legislation advancing in the Iowa Senate.

Advocates for immigrants flooded a legislative hearing Wednesday at the Iowa Capitol to express their opposition to and concern for the proposal.

Under House Study Bill 552, cities and counties would be barred from issuing identification cards to residents. The legislation would eliminate existing ID card programs in Johnson County and Central Iowa Community ID, which is operated mainly in Story and Marshall counties. Those programs were started in 2015 and 2019, respectively.

Two Republicans on an Iowa House subcommittee that considered the bill Wednesday — Reps. Mike Vondran of Davenport and Sam Wengryn of Davis City — supported advancing it to the full House Public Safety Committee.

Rep. Eric Gjerde, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, declined to support advancing the bill.

“I am disappointed that it moved forward today. I thought that the people that were here from all over Iowa did a very good job speaking in regards to how if this bill passes it would affect their communities,” Maria Gonzalez, a community organizer with Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice from Marshalltown, told reporters after the hearing.

“The room was filled with so many diverse people, including people that work with police departments,” Gonzalez said. “So that’s, again, disappointing to all of us (who gave or heard) very impactful testimonies in the room.”

Many speakers who came from Johnson County defended that county’s program and described the card’s uses and limitations.

The Johnson County ID, according to the county’s website, can be used in the county as a secondary form of identification with local government entities like city and county agencies, schools and law enforcement. It also can be used as a secondary form of identification to open an account at participating banks and give access to discounts offered by participating community businesses, according to the county.

Johnson County issued roughly 200 new cards and 50 renewals in 2025, according to County Auditor records. An adult ID card lasts four years and a child's lasts two years.

Supporters said the Johnson County ID program helps residents who, for various reasons, do not possess other forms of government-issued identification.

Gonzalez during the hearing shared the story of a woman who fled her home to get away from an abusive spouse and, because of the local ID card, was able to access services to help her and her children.

“She didn’t get to choose, ‘What documents I take with me or don’t.’ She was pushed out of her home with her children in survival mode,” Gonzalez said.

Mazahir Salih, executive director and cofounder of Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County, argued the state should allow the local programs — which were designed by elected officials — to continue operating in their communities.

“Hopefully (the bill) doesn’t go further; hopefully it’s still killed and we continue to use something that is really working,” Salih said. “The county (officials), being elected by the people, they know what (are) the needs of the people. And that’s why it’s working right now. I don’t think the state should weigh in.”

A lobbyist for the Iowa League of Cities expressed concern that the bill, as written, would prohibit the type of ID cards that cities and counties issue for recreational programs. And a lobbyist for the Iowa Emergency Management Association expressed concern with the bill’s potential impact on disaster recovery efforts, when government agencies sometimes issue temporary ID cards.

None of the 24 individuals who spoke during the hearing expressed support for the proposed legislation. And no individual or organization is registered in support of the bill, according to state lobbying records online.

Vondran, who chairs the House Public Safety Committee, said during the hearing that he heard the concerns raised but that he supported advancing it to continue the legislative conversation. He declined to comment further on the bill after the hearing, saying he wants to better understand it and the comments made during the hearing. During the hearing, Vondran said he wants the bill to provide “the best outcomes for Iowans.”

Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com

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