Iowa
Iowa immigration law remains blocked, US appeals court says, but second lawsuit to be dismissed
DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal appeals court on Friday sided with the Biden administration’s Department of Justice and kept a temporary block on an Iowa law that makes it a state crime for a person to be in Iowa if they are in the U.S. illegally.
But a second order from the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals raises questions on future court proceedings now that President Donald Trump is in the White House.
The department and an immigrant rights groups sued Iowa in May over the law, which looks similar to Texas and Oklahoma laws that are also on hold while courts consider whether they unconstitutionally usurp federal immigration authority. A district court judge granted the Biden administration and the immigrant rights group a temporary block on the law, and Iowa appealed.
The law would let state and local officials arrest and charge people who have outstanding deportation orders or who previously have been removed from or denied admission to the U.S.
The federal appeals court said that “contrary to Iowa’s belief,” the state law would likely contradict federal officials’ discretion in how to enforce immigration policy and complicate U.S. foreign policy.
But the federal appeals court issued a second decision Friday that might complicate the legal battle in Iowa if Trump’s administration withdraws the Department of Justice’s complaint.
The federal appeals court said that the lawsuit filed by Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice on behalf of its organization and two individuals should be dismissed by the district court judge — because the U.S. v. Iowa lawsuit makes it moot.
“Right now we’re just figuring out what our legal next steps are,” said Veronica Fowler, communications director for the ACLU of Iowa, one of the legal teams representing Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, “because obviously we are committed to doing everything we can to strike down this really terrible law.”
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the future of the lawsuit, which would proceed in the lower court.
Under President Joe Biden, Republican governors and lawmakers across the country accused the president of a failure to enforce federal immigration law and manage the southern border. Most are now lining up to support Trump in his pledge to crack down on illegal immigration and deport many who are living in the U.S. illegally.
A December joint statement from 26 Republican governors, including Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, said they “stand ready to utilize every tool at our disposal — whether through state law enforcement or the National Guard — to support President Trump in this vital mission.”
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said in a statement Friday that the “battle is far from over.”
“As President Trump works nationally to fix the mess Biden and (Vice President Kamala) Harris created on the southern border, we will continue fighting in Iowa to defend our laws and keep families safe,” Bird said.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A University of Iowa student critically injured in an April 19 shooting at the Pedestrian Mall is off a ventilator after multiple surgeries.
Miranda, who suffered the most serious injuries in the shooting, was taken off a ventilator and breathing through her tracheostomy with oxygen support as needed, according to a May 2 update on a GoFundMe page organized by her sister, Janjay Peters. The fundraiser has raised more than $195,000.
Doctors said if Miranda continues to do well with her breathing, she may be moved out of the ICU soon. The family expressed appreciation for the support they have been receiving.
The shooting happened at the Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City, around 1:45 a.m. on April 19. Five people were hurt, one critically.
Iowa City Police said 17-year-old Damarian Jones of Cedar Rapids was involved in a fight before he retrieved a gun from another person and fired six shots into the crowd, hitting five people.
Authorities said there is no evidence Jones targeted any of the victims, and none were involved in the initial fight.
Iowa City Police are still searching for Jones. He is facing five counts of attempted murder among several other charges.
The Iowa City Police Department said it expects to arrest more people in addition to the charges for Jones.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
IOWA (KWQC) – Iowa Democrats responded to Vice President JD Vance’s visit and endorsement of Rep. Zach Nunn in a press release.
The statement addressed Vance’s comments on tax cuts for American manufacturers. Democrats said corporate greed and policies pushed by Republicans including Vance and Nunn have led to the ongoing closure of Burlington’s CNH plant.
The release stated that from 2015 to 2024, CNH made $11.6 billion in profit and the CEO made $113 million during that time period. The statement said the money could have provided as much as $5 per hour per employee and could have been used to keep plants open in the U.S. and Iowa.
Vance discussed opening regulation for E15 fuel so Iowa farmers can have another revenue source, along with recent progress made for the Farm Bill.
A farmer from central Iowa remarked on the recent Farm Bill, saying a new Farm Bill has just passed the House, but it is not future-looking and continues to support big operations. The farmer said the bill gives money for precision agriculture development and purchases for farmers.
The statement referenced the president’s February executive order to purchase metric tons of beef from Argentina instead of supporting Iowa’s beef production.
Copyright 2026 KWQC. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON (TNND) — Vice President JD Vance is headed to Iowa on Tuesday, expected to speak at a manufacturing facility. Tuesday’s visit will mark the first since taking office last January.
Vance is making the trip to campaign on behalf of Rep. Zach Nunn, who will be facing off in a competitive race to keep his seat in the Des Moines area in the November midterm elections. He is accompanied by his son Vivek on the trip, making a stop in Cincinnati to vote in Ohio, where he previously served as Senator, and then made an appearance in Oklahoma City to hold a fundraiser as the finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
Vance’s visit to Iowa was originally slated for last week, but the timing was changed because the House moved to pass a farm bill that Nunn was due to vote on.
He also had been prepared to appear last week at an Iowa State University event with Turning Point USA. However, the organization said it was not able to reschedule the event with the university until the fall.
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Vance’s visit to Iowa also offers him the chance to test his reception before Iowa voters, who make up a crucial voter bloc for the next presidential election.
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