Don't let Des Moines hand over local control of Iowa's Law Enforcement to Washington 

We’ve been here before—and Iowans stopped it. Last year, Iowans pushed back on statewide bills that would have expanded local participation in federal immigration enforcement. Those efforts stalled after public pressure and law-enforcement concerns. 

Now we are right back to it with SF 2097. The new bill was introduced by Sandy Salmon January 26, 2026 and assigned to subcommittee on January 28, 2026— last year's basic ideas repackaged into shorter, vaguer language that still affects every agency and officer statewide.

Here is the exact new sentence SF 2097 adds:

“All law enforcement agencies and officers in the state shall cooperate and work with United States immigration and customs enforcement and any other federal immigration-related agencies when requested.”

Read that carefully: all agencies. all officers. when requested.

No clear limits. No defined scope. No funding. A statewide mandate written broadly enough that every Iowa community—and every local department—can be pressured into federal immigration priorities on someone else’s timetable.

What changes under SF 2097

Current Iowa law (Chapter 27A) requires law enforcement to comply with immigration detainer requests only when they already have someone in custody. That's a narrow trigger tied to a specific paperwork process for someone already in a jail cell.

SF 2097 greatly widens that scope. SF 2097 adds something much broader: a standing, statewide duty for every Iowa law enforcement agency and officer to “cooperate and work with” federal immigration agencies “when requested.” 

This isn't just sheriffs. It's every law enforcement agency and officer in the state: That includes city police, county sheriffs and deputies, state patrol, campus police, conservation/park officers — anyone with law enforcement authority.

No definition of what "cooperate" means.
No limits on what can be requested.
No opt-out.
No fiscal analysis.
No reimbursement.

Effective policing requires trust—and this bill puts that trust at risk. A mandate that pulls local departments into federal immigration actions on demand blurs the line between local public safety and federal immigration enforcement. 

CONTACT THE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE NOW

Iowa already rejected this approach of amending 27A twice (HSB 187 and HSB 285 in 2025). The core problems haven't gone away; they've just been repackaged. Don't wait. The subcommittee could meet within days. Make sure to contact them TODAY! Ask questions and voice your own personal concerns. (An update will be sent as soon as a Subcommittee meeting is officially scheduled or the bill is tabled) 

1. Senator Sandy Salmon (Bill Sponsor) | (515) 281-3371
   sandy.salmon@legis.iowa.gov
   
   
2. Senator Jason Schultz (Subcommittee Chair) | (515) 281-3371
    jason.schultz@legis.iowa.gov 
   
   
3. Senator Mike Bousselot  | (515) 281-3371
   mike.bousselot@legis.iowa.gov
   
   
4. Senator Izaah Knox | (515) 281-3371
   izaah.knox@legis.iowa.gov
    

Why SF 2097 is written the way it is

SF 2097 isn't just a third attempt at expanding immigration enforcement in Iowa. It's a third attempt designed to avoid the problems that stopped the first two.

HSB 187 named a 287(g) agreement, set a deadline, and required formal agreements with ICE. It failed after concerns were raised about available manpower, and concerns about "federalizing" local agencies.

HSB 285 followed the next day, threatening a felony for noncompliance. It was amended, passed the House as HF 946, and did not move in the Senate. Neither approach worked.

SF 2097 removes everything that made those bills vulnerable. No program named. No deadline. No defined scope. No new penalty. Because "cooperate when requested" doesn't define what cooperation looks like, there's no clear cost to attach a fiscal analysis to. The mandate is just as real — but it's invisible on paper. 

A 287(g) agreement is voluntary — agencies opt in, negotiate the scope, and receive federal training and support. That's how state-local cooperation with ICE is actually structured. SF 2097 bypasses all of it. It writes a mandatory duty with no defined limits, no accountability, and no funding — and then backs it up with the threat of losing all state funds for noncompliance.

What “when requested” could mean 

SF 2097 doesn’t define “cooperate.” So “when requested” can expand into operational demands that pull Iowa departments into federal immigration operations without limits or funding. Examples could include:

1. Standby/perimeter/traffic control during federal actions → officers pulled off patrol, fewer resources for local calls.
2. Arrest or “warrant service” assistance (including administrative immigration warrants) → higher civil-rights and liability risk when the legal basis is contested and can potentially cause an erosion of trust in the community.
3. Holding someone past their release time for federal pickup → major exposure for wrongful detention claims and settlement costs.
4. Transporting people for transfer/handoff → staffing and vehicle time diverted, overtime costs land locally.
5. Using local jail space and staff time for federal detention decisions → counties absorb costs and become the front line for detention disputes and lawsuits.
6. Sharing non-public records or information beyond routine local casework → privacy risks, errors, and accountability questions fall on local agencies.
7. Surge staffing requests → overtime and burnout; local response times and coverage suffer.

That’s the core problem with SF 2097: it creates a blank-check mandate triggered by a federal “request,” while the staffing strain, liability exposure, and public-trust damage land on local law enforcement in Iowa communities. That’s why the words “when requested” matter. With no limits, no funding, and no clear safeguards, the boundaries get tested on your county’s time, your department’s staffing, and your community’s trust.

SF 2097 hands the federal government a pass to direct Iowa's law enforcement however it wants.

The Penalty for Saying "No": Lose Everything
This is the part people need to understand. Under Chapter 27A, non-compliance doesn't trigger a warning or a fine. It triggers the loss of all state funding.

Here’s how it works:

1. Any person (including a federal agency) can file a complaint with the Attorney General.
2. If the AG decides the violation was intentional, the county is notified.
3. The AG must take the case to district court.
4. If the court agrees, the local entity loses eligibility for state funds. 

That’s not hypothetical. In 2025, Chapter 27A enforcement escalated into a high-profile lawsuit involving Winneshiek County and the Attorney General. SF 2097 expands the trigger for these lawsuits. Decline a request you believe is unlawful? Refuse to commit staff time your county can’t spare? Under SF 2097’s vague “when requested” mandate, any of that can become the start of the enforcement pipeline.

Once Iowa writes a statewide duty to “cooperate… when requested,” it increases the odds that Iowa counties become the infrastructure for these operations—while the legal exposure and costs land here at home.

Whether you care most about public safety, constitutional limits, civil rights, local control, or protecting your county, your neighbors, and your community—SF 2097 threatens what you care about. Sign. Share. Email. Call. No donation required — just share on social media to help this information reach more Iowans.

Petition will be open until the bill is tabled or withdrawn or end on Friday, February 20, 2026. (Funnel Deadline)

Final note: SF 2097 is short for a reason—because a few vague words can create a statewide mandate with real consequences. Read the operative language below and decide whether Iowa should write an open-ended duty triggered simply “when requested.” Bold text is the new wording added to 27A.2

Appendix: SF 2097 bill text (verbatim)
Senate File 2097
Sponsor: Senator Salmon
Short description: An Act relating to state law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration and customs enforcement.

Bill text
Section 1. Section 27A.2, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:

27A.2 Law enforcement agency duties — immigration detainer requests.

All law enforcement agencies and officers in the state shall cooperate and work with United States immigration and customs enforcement and any other federal immigration-related agencies when requested.

A law enforcement agency in this state that has custody of a person subject to an immigration detainer request issued by United States immigration and customs enforcement shall fully comply with any instruction made in the detainer request and in any other legal document provided by a federal agency.

Explanation: This bill relates to state law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration and customs enforcement. The bill provides that all law enforcement agencies and officers in the state shall cooperate and work with United States immigration and customs enforcement and any other federal immigration-related agencies when requested.

CONTACT THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND BILL SPONSOR NOW

Senator Sandy Salmon (Bill Sponsor) | (515) 281-3371
sandy.salmon@legis.iowa.gov

Senator Jason Schultz (Subcommittee Chair) | (515) 281-3371
 jason.schultz@legis.iowa.gov 

Senator Mike Bousselot  | (515) 281-3371
mike.bousselot@legis.iowa.gov

Senator Izaah Knox | (515) 281-3371
izaah.knox@legis.iowa.gov