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River to River, hosted by Ben Kieffer
River to River

Iowa lawmakers discuss bills affecting undocumented immigrants

By Grant Gerlock,
Katarina Sostaric, Samantha McIntosh, Madeleine Willis
Published February 13, 2024 at 7:00 AM CST
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River to River, hosted by Ben Kieffer

This week Iowa lawmakers face their first deadline to keep bills alive this legislative session.

On this legislative episode of River to River, IPR's Grant Gerlock co-hosts with Katarina Sostaric to discuss bills in the Iowa House and Senate that would impact undocumented immigrants and non-U.S. citizens in the state.

Erica Johnson and Vanessa Marcano-Kelly of Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice join the program to discuss how those bills would likely impact the immigrant community. Then lawmakers Steven Holt and Lindsay James and Julian Garrett join the program to discuss the bills and take listeners' questions.

Guests:

  • Erica Johnson, founding executive director, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice
  • Vanessa Marcano-Kelly, board chair, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice
  • Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, cosponsor HF 2112
  • Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque
  • Sen. Julian Garrett, R-Indianola, floor manager SF 108
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River to River 2024 Legislative SessionimmigrationBorder crisis
Grant Gerlock
Grant Gerlock is IPR's Assistant News Director, with expertise in reporting on education policy, the Iowa Legislature, water quality, and news in Central Iowa, all with an eye to helping Iowans better understand their communities and the state. He's covered education policy from the state to local level, environmental concerns and local policy implementations across the Des Moines and surrounding area, among many more stories, for IPR, NPR and other media organizations. Gerlock is a graduate of Miami University (Ohio).
See stories by Grant Gerlock
Katarina Sostaric
Katarina Sostaric is IPR's State Government Reporter, with expertise in state government and agencies, state officials and how public policy affects Iowans' lives. She's covered Iowa's annual legislative sessions, the closure of state agencies, and policy impacts on family planning services and access, among other topics, for IPR, NPR and other public media organizations. Sostaric is a graduate of the University of Missouri.
See stories by Katarina Sostaric
Samantha McIntosh
Samantha McIntosh is a talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University. Since 2022, McIntosh has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.
See stories by Samantha McIntosh
Madeleine Willis
Madeleine Willis is IPR's Production Assistant supporting the talk shows and The Sunny Side Project. Willis has experience in audio production, reporting, writing and editing stories and conversations. She's reported and produced conversations on womanhood, sports, and good news from across Iowa. Willis will receive her bachelors degree from the University of Iowa in May 2025.
See stories by Madeleine Willis
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