A judge temporarily blocks Iowa law that allows authorities to charge people facing deportation

DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked an Iowa law that would allow law enforcement in the state to file criminal charges against people with outstanding deportation orders or who had previously been denied entry into the US.

U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher issued a preliminary injunction, saying the U.S. Justice Department and civil rights groups that filed suit against the state are likely to succeed in their argument that federal immigration law would override the law passed this spring approved by Iowa lawmakers.

“Politically, the new legislation could be defensible,” Locher wrote in his decision. “Under constitutional law, that is not the case.”

The Iowa law, which would take effect July 1, would allow law enforcement agencies to file charges against people who have outstanding deportation orders or who have previously been removed from the U.S. or denied entry into the U.S. Once in custody, migrants can agree to leave the U.S. under a judge’s order or face prosecution, which could include a prison sentence before deportation.