Bill would allow Iowans to request immigration status of people with criminal records

Iowans convicted of crimes would have their immigration status made public under a bill advanced in the Iowa House of Representatives on Monday.

"I believe citizens have a right to know who’s committing crimes," said Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison. "And why in the world we would think that the state should have a right to keep as a secret someone’s immigration status from a community where a crime has been committed borderlines on the ridiculous to me."

Holt led a subcommittee meeting where lawmakers voted to advance House File 2114 to a full committee.

Holt said he introduced the legislation after a constituent complained that he sought information about a person's immigration status after that person had been charged with a crime but was denied access to it. Holt said the intent is not to publicly post a person's immigration status, but to allow others to specifically request and receive it.

But Erica Johnson, a lobbyist with American Friends Service Committee Iowa, said she finds it "concerning" that someone would seek out another person's immigration status.

"It seems like this is a bill that would lead to an increased instance of racial profiling," she said.

Laura Hessburg, a lobbyist with the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said she opposes the legislation because of the effect it could have on domestic violence victims.

"A person’s immigration status in a domestic violence situation is often used as a weapon to further harm the individual and to hold them hostage," she said. "They say, 'If your immigration status is revealed, you could risk deportation.' So oftentimes that is the very reason immigrant survivors of domestic violence do not come forward to law enforcement."

Holt said he plans to do some more research about the issue as it moves forward. The bill, in order to remain eligible for continued debate, will need to be approved by the full Public Safety Committee by Friday.