Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, is backing an immigration bill along with Senator Chuck Grassley that would eventually allow children brought to the country illegally by their parents to become citizens. That part of the proposal for those under what’s known as DACA has generated some controversy, but Ernst says she hasn’t gotten negative feedback. “I’ve have not gotten any pushback on that and I have talked to, even folks on the far right of the spectrum, conservative leaders across Iowa,” according to Ernst.

She says the conversations went better than she expected. “I was actually really surprised at the engagement that they are having with the pathway to citizenship, because understanding that these children who are now young adults did not break the law,” Ernst says. “So they are here, they are members of our community. Why would we not want to make them productive citizens.”

Ernst says they are needed in the state. “I would love to see them go on and be in the military. I would love to seem them go on and go to college and be a doctor and a nurse, because we need them in rural areas,” Ernst explains. “They are productive members of our society — and again — they haven’t broken the law.”

Ernst says leadership has said they will look at a lot of different proposals from both sides on the immigration issue. She says she’s not sure what the final bill will look like.

(Radio Iowa)