POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, Iowa (WOWT) – The Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund was started by Pottawattamie county a few years ago.

It started with $50,000 reaching to nearly $900,000 during the pandemic before being given out for COVID relief.

“We’re back to the original investment that was made by Pottawattamie County Emergency Management and now we’re adding back to that fund,” said Donna Dostal, President and CEO of Community Foundation for Western Iowa.

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Now, there’s nearly $100,000 for tornado victims and more is on the way.

“The gifts keep coming in. Right now we’re probably at about $75,000 to $85,000 of new money.”

Money from the fund goes directly to organizations on the ground bringing relief to places like Council Bluffs, Crescent and Minden.

“It can help close gaps and make sure lives are whole cities are rebuilt and better than they were when it started,” said Dostal.

Donations for the Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund are being accepted online.

Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.

Civil rights groups filed a complaint on Thursday against Iowa state officials to stop the state’s recently enacted immigration law from going into effect on July 1. The law makes it a crime for a foreign national to enter Iowa after having been deported from the US in the past, regardless of current immigration status.

The groups involved are the national and state ACLU chapters and the American Immigration Council. They represent the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, advising and advocating for immigrants and refugees.

In the complaint filed with the District Court of Southern Iowa, the groups claim that Iowa has exceeded its power by intruding on areas of law reserved to the federal government. They first argue that the federal government has exclusive power to regulate immigration and that Iowa’s law conflicts with federal immigration statutes. For example, a person commits no federal crime if the person was previously deported and now reenters the US on a visa. But at the same time, they commit a state crime under Iowa law, according to the complaint. Second, the groups contend that the Iowa law intrudes on the federal government’s exclusive power to regulate foreign commerce, which includes “people’s entry into the US and their movement across state borders.”

The complaint also stresses the law’s impact. Forbidden reentry is an “aggravated misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in state prison.” If the person was previously removed for committing a crime, reentry becomes a felony with a maximum sentence of ten years. The law authorizes state judges to order people to leave the US.

The ACLU announced the lawsuit on its website, stating that the law is “one of the worst, most far-reaching immigration laws ever passed in the state of Iowa.” The civil rights group also cautions that the law applies to minors and will “fuel racial profiling” and “result in the separation of families.”

Kim Reynolds, Iowa’s Republican Governor, responded with a brief statement, “As Governor, I have a responsibility to protect the citizens of Iowa. Since President Biden refuses to enforce our nation’s immigration laws – threatening the safety of our citizens – Iowa will step in.”

Just over a month ago, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction against a similar law in Texas. That law criminalizes crossing the US border into Texas at an unauthorized point. However, a preliminary injunction only stops the law from going into effect while the case is pending, so the court has not yet given a final ruling.

In the meantime, more states may join Texas and Iowa in their campaign against immigration. For example, Oklahoma’s House of Representatives recently passed a law criminalizing both illegal presence in Oklahoma and reentering after deportation.

Repairs are coming to the Iowa Avenue pedestrian underpass this summer, months after it closed to the public.

The route allows residents and students to pass underneath the road near the intersection with Riverside Drive, where there is no crosswalk. It was closed in August 2023 after an inspection found the pathway approaching the underpass was deteriorating.

There also was significant cracking in the underpass, shown in photos posted on social media in the days leading up to the closure. The project will cost the city roughly $225,000.

More: Iowa Supreme Court rules for University of Iowa, reverses $12.8 million payment to contractor

The railings on the adjacent spiral walkway and on the nearby pedestrian bridge over Riverside Drive were set to be replaced, as well. However, delays in acquiring the needed steel would put that $1.25 million project outside of the summer timeframe.

The bridge is not structurally deficient and does not pose any risk to pedestrians using it or vehicles below, City Engineer Jason Havel said.

The university had asked the city to complete the work on the bridge during the summer as it receives heavy use from students and the community when school is in session.

Under a two-decade-long agreement between the city, the state Department of Transportation and UI, Iowa City and the university will each be responsible for 25% of the cost of the bridge work, or $312,500 apiece.

The project is expected to be bid later this year to provide additional time for a contractor to order the steel. Construction will then begin in summer 2025 and is slated for completion before the start of the 2025-26 academic year.

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.