DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The federal government has long had sole authority over U.S. immigration policy, but several Republican-led states are pushing for a role in enforcing regulations. With polling showing Americans are increasingly worried about illegal immigration, the concern has become a top issue in the presidential campaign between Biden and Republican Donald Trump. Republican officials in several states say they owe it to their citizens to be more proactive in charging and deporting people who don’t have legal status to be in the U.S. Iowa is among states that have approved laws granting state law enforcement and courts the right to file criminal charges against people based on their immigration status. This week a federal judge blocked Iowa’s new regulations.
