Letter to the Editor - What Kind of Town Do We Want to Be?

We cover Decorah because we love it. Show your love back — donate today. Dear Editor, Last year, 24-year-old Noel Lopez De La Cruz who grew up in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, since he was two years old, was deported to Mexico. ICE took him into custody from the Muscatine County Jail where he was being held on a charge of marijuana possession. Despite those charges later being dropped, ICE deported Noel to a country that he does not know where they speak a language he is not fluent in. There are many more stories like Noel's in Iowa. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, 85% of ICE arrests in Iowa happen through local jails — nearly double the 48% national average. The arrest-to-deportation pipeline begins with something as simple as a traffic stop and ends with deportation, all with our tax dollars and cooperation. And the deportation machine is only getting bigger. ICE is now the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the history of this country, with a $70 billion package passed just this month, used in part to buy warehouses and lock people up on a larger scale. ICE Acting Director, David Venturella, made millions as an executive at the private prison company GEO Group during his 12-year tenure. With the ACLU counting roughly one death every six days in detention centers, we can expect for this number to grow as ICE has repeatedly denied health inspectors full access to facilities. Decorah can choose not to be part of this machine. We do not have to do ICE's work for them. The Separation Ordinance draws a line between Decorah and ICE. It would stop Decorah from feeding the pipeline by not collecting people's immigration status, not quietly tipping ICE off when someone is released, and not using our police or our budget to help with deportations. It would put know-your-rights cards in our city buildings, open booking to outside observers, and require the city to report every dollar and every act of cooperation with ICE to the public. On Tuesday, June 16th at 6 PM, the Decorah Human Rights Commission will hold a public forum on immigration and the proposed ordinance in the City Council Chambers. This is a crucial moment for community members to show up and testify on why our city should not cooperate with ICE. Join the movement with Decorah Community for Immigrant Rights (DCIR) and say no to deportations and ICE out of Iowa! Joshua Ratel-Khan Decorah, Iowa Be the first to know! Sign up for the free newsletter and unlock exclusive updates, breaking news, and tips from around the community.