Ruling Protects Households and Upholds Constitutional Limits on State Energy
Oct 23, 2025, WASHINGTON DC — In a sweeping victory for immigrant communities and the rule of legislation, the U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit right this moment upheld an injunction blocking Iowa’s SF 2340. This legislation, Iowa’s worst-ever on immigration, would have made it against the law for sure immigrants to stay in Iowa, even when they’re now approved to be in america.
The legislation would even have allowed native officers to deal with arrests and deportations. That is one thing that they don’t have energy to do beneath the Structure, as immigration legislation is dealt with by federal authorities with a purpose to guarantee one constant nationwide coverage, not a patchwork of fifty completely different state guidelines that would separate households and create chaos.
“It is a large aid for hundreds of Iowa households,” mentioned Erica Johnson, founding govt director of Iowa Migrant Motion for Justice (Iowa MMJ), the group that introduced the lawsuit. “The courtroom’s choice confirms that key members of our group ought to by no means have been criminalized merely for being right here and dwelling their lives in peace. This ruling restores a way of security and dignity to individuals who name Iowa dwelling.”
The lawsuit, Iowa Migrant Motion for Justice v. Hen, was introduced by Iowa MMJ and two particular person plaintiffs, represented by the ACLU of Iowa, the ACLU Immigrant Rights’ Undertaking, and the American Immigration Council.
SF 2340 would have made it against the law for non-citizens who had ever been deported or denied entry to america to stay in Iowa, even when they later obtained lawful standing or federal permission to return. The legislation would additionally empower state and native legislation enforcement to arrest folks for his or her mere presence within the state, and would require state judges to subject deportation orders. Below the Structure, these powers belong solely to the federal authorities, to make sure that households aren’t torn aside by conflicting guidelines throughout state strains.
“SF2340 is the worst anti-immigrant legislation in Iowa’s historical past. At this time’s ruling retains SF2340 blocked and protects immigrants in Iowa from many critical harms: arrest, detention, deportation, household separation, and incarceration, all by the state. At a time when the federal authorities is inflicting a lot hurt to households, it’s all of the extra essential that the state is just not permitted to make issues even worse. The Court docket reaffirmed that the Iowa legislature doesn’t have authority to cross its personal immigration legal guidelines to detain and deport folks,” mentioned Rita Bettis Austen, authorized director of the ACLU of Iowa. “Immigration enforcement is a federal duty, and this choice protects households and ensures that our legal guidelines are utilized pretty and constantly.”
The legislation was initially enacted on April 10, 2024 and blocked from going into impact on June 17, 2024; the state of Iowa then appealed the choice. (Overview extra paperwork within the ongoing authorized case right here). On account of this most up-to-date Eighth Circuit ruling, the legislation will stay blocked for now because the case continues in federal courtroom.
“The Eighth Circuit’s choice resonates far past Iowa,” mentioned Emma Winger, deputy authorized director on the American Immigration Council. “Throughout the nation, we’re seeing states try to take immigration enforcement into their very own arms. This might create a actuality by which an individual could possibly be welcomed in a single state and arrested within the subsequent, only for crossing a border. Below our Structure, immigration must be dealt with at a federal stage so households aren’t trapped in chaos. This ruling upholds that precept.”
“At this time the Eighth Circuit reiterated what the Supreme Court docket has mentioned for over 100 years: States don’t have any enterprise regulating immigration on their very own,” mentioned Spencer Amdur, senior employees legal professional on the ACLU’s nationwide immigrants’ rights venture. “This legislation would have torn households aside and denied folks their proper to stay on this nation and search authorized protections. The courtroom was proper to strike it down, identical to courts have performed for different legal guidelines like this across the nation.”
See previous paperwork within the lawsuit right here.
