Hiding or sheltering someone who’s not a U.S. citizen to encourage them to stay in the country illegally would count as smuggling under a bill passed out of an Iowa House committee. The bill would make it a felony under state law if it’s done in exchange for payment or “anything of value.”
Critics of the bill argue it's unnecessary since smuggling is already against federal law. They also worry the bill could be used to target people who are helping immigrants without legal status.
Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, voted for the bill and says it's also aimed at practices that exploit migrant farm workers.
“Not only do we want to go after the folks that might be smuggling, but also somebody in agriculture or something that is harboring these folks and paying them a slave labor wage, those sorts of things.”
Transporting someone without legal status to hide them from the police would also count as smuggling under the proposal.
The bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee along party lines. The Iowa House passed a similar measure last year, but the proposal failed to advance further.