The heat index hovered near 100 degrees, and the most direct routes were blocked by the Iowa City Jazz Festival and the Iowa City Farmers Market, but that didn’t stop an enthusiastic crowd of hundreds from marching to College Green Park from the terrace of the Old State Capitol on Saturday morning for Iowa City’s Families Belong Together rally.
Immigration
Posted inCommunity/News
Protesters will gather in Cedar Rapids to push for the reunification of migrant families
On Saturday, there will be rallies protesting in more than 620 cities across the country, including Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, to protest the Trump administration treatment of migrants arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico. The Families Belong Together protests were originally inspired by the administration’s policy of taking children away from their families, and interring them in separate facilities.
Posted inCommunity/News
Families Belong Together: Protesting Trump’s treatment of immigrant families
Activists across the nation are organizing rallies to protest the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrant families detained by federal agents at the U.S.-Mexico border. Iowa City will be participating in the Keep Families Together protest with a rally on the University of Iowa Pentacrest at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 30.
Posted inCommunity/News
Organizing communities to handle ICE and Trump administration immigration policy
While the national media focuses on immigration enforcement at the southern border as children are taken away from their parents, there’s an ongoing effort in Iowa to help immigrants deal with how Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are enforcing Trump administration policies.
Posted inCommunity/News
Trump administration: Immigrants fleeing ‘private violence’ like domestic abuse shouldn’t be granted asylum
On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Session took the extraordinary step of overturning a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) of the Justice Department that granted asylum to A.B., a Salvadorian woman who fled to the United States to escape from domestic violence. “Generally, claims by aliens pertaining to domestic violence or gang […]
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Vigil in Cedar Rapids on Monday evening to support families affected by the Mt. Pleasant ICE raid
There will be a vigil in Cedar Rapids in support of the families of the 32 workers who were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday. The vigil, which starts at 5 p.m., will be held in front of Sen. Chuck Grassley’s regional office 111 7th Ave SE.
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‘We need to decide what we want to be’: Yo Soy Iowa/I Am Iowa Rally in Des Moines Tuesday will focus on immigration
Immigration rights activists and people wanting to show support for Iowa’s immigrant community will gather at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines on Tuesday for the Yo Soy Iowa/I Am Iowa Rally. This is the second year for the May 1 rally at the capitol, but the issues remain the same. “At the national […]
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Gov. Reynolds signs so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ bill, which she said was aimed at ‘far-left liberals in Des Moines and Iowa City’
On Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed SF 481, the so-called “sanctuary cities bill,” into law. Reynolds didn’t issue a statement, but two months ago, she hailed the bill as a way to “send a message to the far-left liberals in Des Moines and Iowa City.”
Posted inCommunity/News
Bill aimed at punishing Iowa City over immigration passes Iowa House
A bill that would strip so-called “sanctuary cities” of state funds was approved the Iowa House of Representatives on Tuesday, even though several Democrats speaking in opposition to the bill pointed out that no city in Iowa meets the U.S. Justice Department’s definition of a sanctuary city.
Posted inCommunity/News
‘A San Francisco right here in Iowa’: Iowa House committee approves bill to punish Iowa City over immigration
A bill that would strip so-called “sanctuary cities” of state funds passed the Iowa House Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, and will now receive a floor vote in the Iowa House of Representatives.
Posted inCommunity/News
En Español: ‘Fighting for a better future’ in Iowa
Orellana first learned of Iowa City through a friend from his adolescence in El Salvador. Before that, he had only seen the name “Iowa” on the state quarter, since he’s a coin collector.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Watch: Sudanese-American women in Iowa City explain Sudan fashion
“I feel like it’s important to represent myself, my culture or my identity.” Sudanese immigrants Mai Salih, Mazahir Salih, Hayat Osman and Entisar Jafar share and discuss Sudanese fashion, defined by comfort, color and modesty — from Mai’s sparkling $500 taub specially ordered for a wedding, to Mazahir’s simpler but cherished set of Sudanese garments. […]
