Iowa Defiant as DOJ Threatens Lawsuit to Block Illegal Immigrant Law: ‘Will Not Back Down’

‘I have a duty to protect the citizens of Iowa. Unlike the federal government, we will respect the rule of law and enforce it,’ Iowa governor said.

Migrants seeking asylum in the United States demonstrate on the Rio Grande to ask for authorization to enter the country, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico, on April 25, 2024. Herika Martinez/AFP via Getty Images

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has vowed to enforce a law criminalizing illegal immigrants who have been denied entry into the United States after the Department of Justice (DOJ) threatened a lawsuit to block it.

Setting the stage for a potential legal battle, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird separately stated that the Hawkeye State would not “back down” in the face of what she deemed a threat.