A bill to mandate every Iowa employer to verify a potential employee’s legal immigration status is advancing in the Iowa State Senate. State Senator Julian Garrett is a sponsor and floor manager of the bill, and he tells KNIA News he thinks there is widespread support across the aisle for this bill, and it’s fair to all.

“I think it’s a good bill for both employers and employees that are law-abiding people who are here legally and obey the law, because it is unfair to both of them who have to compete with those offering and taking substandard wages, so I think it’s a good thing.”

Enforcement of the will be under the purview of Iowa Workforce Development, rather than each County Attorney. Under federal law, states can’t bring criminal charges for immigration, but a failure to comply with the bill can lead to a loss of a business license. Opponents of the bill, including the Iowa American Civil Liberties Union, state that the system is a violation of privacy, is inconsistent, and won’t catch falsified information on an application. The bill has passed through the Judiciary Committee and is up for vote in the Senate.