(Radio Iowa) – Decorah’s Human Rights Commission wants the city end its cooperation with ICE agents and go against state law to make it a sanctuary city. Josh Ratel-Khan is an organizer for local activists who have pushed the move for years. He says that law is unjust and Decorah must resist it.
“Overwhelmingly in our communities in Iowa, ICE is getting people through our jails. And so that is the method in which we get them out of our communities, is by passing policies like the separation ordinance,” he says. Decorah’s City Council voted down a similar ordinance last fall and was asked again at last night’s (Tuesday) meeting to revisit the issue. Under Iowa law the state denies funding to local governments that refuse to work with federal agents.
Human Rights Commissioner Laree Schouweiler says Decorah could become a target. “Of all the separation ordinances across the U-S, we would be the first in Iowa, and, in the current climate, I worry about that, greatly,” Schouweiler says. Despite those reservations, the commission passed the ordinance to the council on a split vote.
The group backing the effort has collected more than 500 signatures in favor of the ordinance.
