A federal appeals court has upheld a preliminary injunction that prevents Iowa from enforcing a statute signed into law last April that criminalizes the reentry of individuals previously denied admission to the United States and mandates state-ordered removal proceedings.
The decision, handed down on Jan. 24 from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, keeps in place an earlier district court order halting the law known as Senate File 2340. The three-judge panel concluded that the measure conflicts with federal immigration regulations and the discretion of federal authorities to determine removal actions, according to their ruling.
Iowa enacted Senate File 2340 to penalize anyone who, after being deported or refused admission by federal authorities, reenters or resides in the state….