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On July 13, I wrote to Rep. Holly Brink, chair of the Government Oversight Committee in the Iowa House of Representatives, seeking a formal inquiry into the deployment of the Iowa State Patrol to the “southern border” in Texas.
Here is the request:
I urge the Government Oversight Committee to meet at our earliest opportunity to review Chapter 29C.21 of the Iowa Code and to consider the out-of-state deployment of Iowa State Patrol personnel by Governor Kim Reynolds for the apparent purpose of enforcing federal immigration law.
A legislative branch inquiry should consider whether the decision is a legitimate use of the states’ Emergency Management Assistance Compact and the precedent this may set for other invocations of the compact that may or may not have been envisioned when the joint agreement was adopted.
As part of this investigation, I request that the committee seek answers to the following questions from the Executive Branch. The questions stem from statements made in a press release issued by the governor’s office in announcing the use of Iowa State Patrol resources for law enforcement in Texas.
The press release made significant, potentially inflammatory assertions related to refugees and migrants coming to the United States and the risks to Iowa associated with such migration. If those assertions are not substantiated, then the justifications for using the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to merit the allocation of Iowa resources to another state are also called into question.
1. What is the definition of a “border encounter”?
2. Where are the encounters taking place?
3. What percentage of these encounters involve Central American migrants and refugees (children and adults)?
4. On an annual basis, since accurate data has been collected, what percentage of seized drugs are associated with border encounters?
5. On an annual basis, since accurate data has been collected, what percentage of seized drugs are associated with Central American refugees?
6. On an annual basis, since accurate data has been collected, what percentage of seized drugs in Iowa can be documented to have come across the southern border?
7. On an annual basis, since accurate data has been collected, what percentage of seized drugs in Iowa are associated with Central American refugees?
8. What percentage of seized weapons are associated with border encounters?
9. What percentage of seized weapons are associated with Central American refugees?
10. What percentage of seized weapons in Iowa can be documented to have come across the southern border?
11. What percentage of seized weapons in Iowa are associated with Central American refugees?
12. What percentage of border encounters involve violent crime?
13. What percentage of border encounters involving violent crime is associated with Central American refugees?
14. What percentage of violent crime in Iowa can be documented to directly relate to people coming across the southern border?
15. What percentage of violent crime in Iowa is associated with Central American refugees?
16. What percentage of border encounters involve human trafficking?
17. What percentage of border encounters involving human trafficking are associated with Central American refugees?
18. What percentage of human trafficking in Iowa is associated with people coming across the southern border?
19. What percentage of human trafficking in Iowa involves Central American refugees?
20. How is the “humanitarian crisis” at our nation’s southern border affecting Iowa (in addition to the occasional lack of communication regarding the transport of refugees)?
21. How were in-state highway patrol staffing levels and other State Patrol activities changed during the period of time personnel were assigned to Texas?
I thank you for your timely response to this request.

Author: Chuck Isenhart

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