SW Iowa Times

Latinx groups in Iowa have asked state leaders to welcome immigrants as Republican lawmakers move to tighten border security.

Iowa Republicans have called for increased border security, which Latinx groups argue is politically motivated, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

“Let’s get over this fear-mongering,” League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Iowa political director Joe Henry said, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. “They’re doing the work, so let’s welcome more of them. We certainly need more workers.”

The situation between border patrol agents and immigrants has escalated throughout 2021, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that Republican members of Congress have asked President Joe Biden to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy put in place by President Donald Trump.

“In #Iowa, @IowaAFLCIO is sounding the alarm." Lorella Praeli, co-president of Community Change said in an Oct. 12 Tweet. She posted an editorial from the Des Moines Register by president of the SC IA AFL-CIO Paula Martinez who wrote, "[Iowans] need and want childcare, pre-K education, home care, reduced prescription drug prices, paid leave, and immigration reform."

According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, Latino leaders in Iowa say that calls for increased border security doesn't tell the entire story of immigration, especially when the focus is just on crime which can create stigmas for all immigrants. Des Moines immigration lawyer Sonia Parras calls it "dehumanizing."

“We’re talking about ‘crisis, crisis, crisis,’ but you don’t hear about people … and their stories,” Parras said, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. “What is their push factor? And why are they coming?”