Republican Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is following the path forward on illegal immigration blazed by the Republican governor of Texas. She signed a law that she said would allow Iowa to enforce immigration laws that already exist. 

Senate File 2340 passed in the state Senate by a vote of 34-16. It passed in the state House by 64-30 last month. It is now a crime for a person to be in Iowa illegally or as an illegal immigrant who previously has been deported. 

“The Biden Administration has failed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, putting the protection and safety of Iowans at risk. Those who come into our country illegally have broken the law, yet Biden refuses to deport them," Reynolds said in a statement on Wednesday.

"This bill gives Iowa law enforcement the power to do what he is unwilling to do: enforce immigration laws already on the books,” she added. 

The Iowa legislation has some of the components that Texas SB 4 has. Biden's DOJ is challenging Texas SB 4 in court so the law is on hold. I do not doubt that Biden and his DHS Secretary Mayorkas will go after Iowa's law, too. In Texas, the state police would be allowed to arrest and deport those who are suspected illegal aliens in the state. DOJ argues that this violates federal law. Ironically, the DOJ also argues SB 4 would create chaos at the border. Too late. The whole reason Texas passed SB 4 is because there is a historic level of chaos on the southern border that has been created by President Biden. 

If Biden and Mayorkas continue to refuse to do their jobs, states should not be penalized for doing Biden's job for him. What are the governors supposed to do? Just as Biden's top job is to protect the homeland and American citizens, it is the top job of governors to protect their states and their residents. 

The Biden border crisis is coming back to bite the president and his campaign for re-election. Immigration is not usually a top campaign issue but in this election cycle, it is. Much to the dismay of open borders Democrats, Trump ran on closing the southern border and building a border wall in 2015. This is a regular part of Trump's stump speeches. The open border is producing an alarming rise in crime around the country. It is responsible for the fentanyl crisis. Illegal aliens know they will be released into the United States and be allowed to freely move around. They are given notices to appear in immigration court years into the future thanks to the backlog of asylum cases. 

The Iowa law takes effect on July 1. 

Open border activists are pushing back on the Iowa legislation. Mexico responded by saying it would explore legal options to avoid cooperating with the state. Mexico had the same reaction to Texas SB 4. 

In Iowa, local immigrant rights groups like Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice have protested the legislation throughout the year and said in an online statement, “We know that we all belong here, Iowa is home, and we will stand together as workers, families and allies to defend each other.”

“Welcoming immigrants and refugees is the definition of what ‘Iowa Nice’ should be,” the group said. “Governor Reynolds is failing newly arrived and long-time Iowans.”

In response to Iowa’s bill, the Mexican government said it will not stand idly and plans to explore legal advice and resources to help defend the rights of Mexicans in Iowa.

No, illegal aliens do not "belong" in any state. They have broken the law as their first action. No other country allows this to go on. They do not have a right to be allowed to stay. It is a privilege and they have to earn it as legal immigrants do. Democrats conflate legal immigration with illegal immigration. That doesn't fly. Americans have had enough. 

In Biden's America, every state is a border state. It's deliberate. The Biden administration is quietly transporting illegal aliens to every congressional district to affect census numbers. Democrats are using illegal immigration to their advantage in elections. 

It's time for a president who respects national sovereignty. Without borders, there is no country.