Local response to the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in the Iowa City community varies by jurisdiction. The Daily Iowan obtained federal law enforcement and ICE-response policies from local law enforcement, area governing officials, the Iowa City school district, and the University of Iowa.
U.S. immigration detention reached the highest level in history within the first 10 months of the Trump administration, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Racking up 61,000 detainees as of late August, the numbers are projected to reach as high as 107,000 by January 2026.
Iowa has also hit a record high number of deportations, according to the most recent data obtained by the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by the DI. The data reports 451 ICE arrests have been made between January and July.
President Donald Trump ordered nationwide ICE crackdowns with the intent of removing criminals from the U.S.
Roughly 60 percent of those arrested by ICE in Iowa this year have a criminal conviction, about 30 percent have at least one charge, and around 9 percent had no charges or convictions, according to the data.
On Sept. 25, the first ICE arrest was made in Iowa City, sparking an uprising within the community and concern for how to respond to ICE’s presence, given agents are not required to identify themselves as federal enforcement.
Four locals made 911 calls on Sept. 25 regarding Bread Garden Market employee Jorge Elieser González Ochoa’s arrest. The calls reference González Ochoa being tackled to the ground by men in plain clothes who have since been identified as ICE agents.
According to the 911 tapes obtained by the DI, another Bread Garden Market employee called the Iowa City Police Department at 10:59 a.m. during the arrest:
“They have tasers, they might be ICE, I’m not sure,” the employee said. “They have him in handcuffs, I’m not sure if they’re cops or not though.”
“I need an officer at the Bread Garden — we got all sorts of problems. I don’t know if I’ve got ICE in here or who it is,” a bystander who witnessed the event and called ICPD said.
RELATED: Local businesses respond to arrest of Jorge Elieser González Ochoa by ICE
“Some people just tackled one of the workers out the door, I have no idea if they’re ICE or what,” another bystander said in a 911 call.
González Ochoa has since been indicted on three counts by a grand jury. According to the indictment filed Oct. 9, he is charged with fraud and misuse of documents, use of immigration identification documents not lawfully issued, and false representation of a Social Security number.
Johnson County Sheriff and Board of Supervisors
No individuals detained by ICE in Iowa City or anywhere in Johnson County will be housed in the Johnson County Jail.
There are currently six county jails in Iowa that have Intergovernmental Service Agreements with the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, a statewide membership-based advocacy and immigration legal service organization driven and led by immigrant and refugee voices.
The six jails are located in Woodbury, Pottawattamie, Polk, Hardin, Linn, and Muscatine counties.
The agreements allow for these jails to house ICE detainees for 72 hours or longer. Each jail listed can hold up to 200 people collectively.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors does not have a contract with the federal government.
“Our jail is in such poor condition and so overcrowded that we couldn’t do it even if we wanted to.”
— Rod Sullivan, Johnson County supervisor
Board of Supervisors Chair Jon Green said he is “confident there would not be an agreement” with the federal government pertaining to ICE. The board is also hoping to quickly develop a statement about ICE.
County jails across Iowa have the option to sign contracts with ICE to house detainees, but Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan said the county has never been approached with the option.
“Our jail is in such poor condition and so overcrowded that we couldn’t do it even if we wanted to,” Sullivan said. “The board has never actually taken a vote. But I also think it’s worth saying there’s no question in my mind that the board would be [voting] 5-0 to not do that sort of thing.”
Sullivan also said any local in Johnson County who witnesses an individual being tackled or grabbed, similar to what happened at Bread Garden, should call the authorities to respond to the situation. He said this is especially important so authorities can get public body camera footage of the interaction and file an incident report.
“Any requests for assistance from ICE will be handled through the lens of our policy and Iowa law,” Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel said in an email statement to the DI. “The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office will always strive to ensure public safety and fairness to all residents of our community.”
Iowa Code 27A, which covers immigration enforcement, requires that if law enforcement agencies have custody of someone “subject to an immigration detainer request” by ICE, they must fully comply with any instruction made by any legal document provided by ICE.
The law also states restriction of enforcement of immigration law is prohibited, and local entities, regardless of whether or not they have a federal contract, must comply.
“A local entity shall not adopt or enforce a policy or take any other action under which the local entity prohibits or discourages the enforcement of immigration laws,” the code states.
Failure to comply with any of these laws will result in an investigation by the Iowa attorney general, and if an entity is found in violation of the code, the punishment is denial of state funds.
Iowa City City Council
After González Ochoa’s arrest at the Bread Garden Market on Sept. 25, Iowa City City Council members have emphasized the importance of keeping community members safe and stated they stand with immigrants in Iowa City.
Mayor Bruce Teague led chants of his campaign slogan, “We all belong here” during a protest in support of González Ochoa on Sept. 26.
He said the council should be vocal when immigrants in the community are being targeted by ICE.
“This is not what anyone should be experiencing,” Teague said. “There is absolutely a process that should be followed by any governmental directed personnel, and ultimately, together as a community, we will get through this.”
Councilor Megan Alter said council members need to be talking about keeping community members safe.
“It’s horrifying that we’re having to keep people safe from our own government agencies first and foremost,” she said. “I’m deeply committed to keeping residents safe, and I think there needs to be multiple ways to help residents because ICE is coming from federal agencies, from governmental agencies.”
Alter said the Iowa City Police Department does not assist in these immigrant warrants.
“Iowa City Police are not being informed of these agents coming to town,” she said. “It’s dangerous for the residents, but the police are not there to assist ICE, and I think that we need to continue being very visible in our support of our immigrant community.”
Councilor Oliver Weilein emphasized that the city government cannot physically prevent ICE from coming to Iowa City, but they are going to continue to be vocal about the situation and listen to people’s concerns.
“A local city government is not going to be the source of salvation for people,” he said. “It’s going to have to take grassroots, bottom-up, brave and courageous resistance and risk-taking from the public. City governments are not equipped or cut out to do these things.”
The Iowa City Police Department declined a request for comment from the DI on how they have responded to ICE’s presence in Iowa City.
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa Office of the General Council updated campus guidelines for law enforcement presence, which includes ICE.
“If a law enforcement officer requests access to records or a UI space, ask them to wait while you consult with OGC and UIPD for guidance,” the instructions read. “If the agent declines your request to wait, do not obstruct law enforcement agents or interfere with their actions.”
President Barbara Wilson and UI Campus Safety declined to comment on the Office of General Counsel’s guidelines.
The guidance states law enforcement officers from different agencies may be present in public campus spaces. However, some spaces are private and not open to the public. The office lists out residence hall rooms, patient care areas, or other spaces that are locked during business hours as generally private.
A UI professor, who the DI granted anonymity due to her concerns for her job, said the university’s policies are vague, which creates a chance for instructors and
students to be hurt.
“I feel that the university is not being honest about its position and is neglecting to be honest with its students about what will happen if ICE came to campus,” the professor said.
“I feel that the university is not being honest about its position and is neglecting to be honest with its students about what will happen if ICE came to campus.”
— UI professor
She said the UI is putting everyone on campus in an “unsafe position” by not making their position clear.
“Because this is vague, it protects the university and leaves the burden of interpretation on the instructor, who can then be at risk if they’re deemed to have interpreted this rule, which is written in multiple ways, in a way the university deems to be incorrect, that they did the wrong thing,” she said. “But I think the biggest burden when it comes to safety, is on the student.”
Loren Glass, UI English department chair, said the guidance has cleared up many questions professors had about how to handle situations if ICE were to come on campus, and it is “better for the university to take the responsibility off our hands.”
“It liberates us from having to worry about sort of specificities of, ‘What if I’m here,’ or ‘What if they ask for this person,’ or ‘What if it’s a student?’” Glass said. “I mean, there’s all sorts of scenarios that people sort of put out there, and every one of them, I have to say, ‘I’m not an immigration lawyer.’”
Glass said it has been a very stressful time for people in positions like his, where others are looking for rules or advice, and the university’s guidance has alleviated some of the weight of navigating how to best support staff and students.
Iowa City Community School District
The Iowa City Community School District is working to address ICE concerns among students, staff, and families in the district. Ruthina Malone, ICCSD school board president, said she has heard the concerns surrounding ICE raids in schools and tries to respond assuringly.
“We want our students, their families and staff to know that they are valued members of our district, and we are here to support them,” Malone said.
Public school districts nationwide are guided by the Supreme Court ruling Plyler v. Doe, which mandates all students, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to a free public education and cannot have their immigration status collected or maintained by the school district.
While the district works to reassure families, recent federal policy shifts have complicated their efforts. On Jan. 20 the Department of Homeland Security made a change to its rules for ICE. The new rule removes previous guidelines that had stopped ICE from going into “sensitive locations” including churches and school buildings.
The district has cited measures taken in terms of supporting the emotional well-being of students, but the district must be in compliance with the state and federal law.
On its website, the district states it will not share student information or let law enforcement into schools unless legally required to do so. This is a gray area for the school district, as it can only react to the threat of an ICE raid.
“[It is important to] ensure our students’ records are updated with contact information for an emergency contact. This allows us to provide more support to our families,” Malone said.
“Every student and parent should feel safe entering a school with the ability to completely focus on learning. Schools should be safe zones for students to learn, grow, and interact with new ideas.”
— Elena Casillas-Hoffman, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice communications specialist
Malone said communication with families is vital in addressing the concerns surrounding the ICE presence in the community. Being able to quickly contact families to communicate to them what is happening at their schools is a role that the district can play in helping families impacted by the threat of ICE, Malone said.
Elena Casillas-Hoffman is a communications specialist for the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice who advocates for involvement.
“Everyone should feel empowered to ask questions especially when it comes to the safety of our students,” Casillas-Hoffman said. “We also always want to encourage parents, educators, and all individuals in the schools to ask questions to school administrators about what their policies and practices are if ICE shows up.”
The organization has an online training program educating individuals about their constitutional rights. These trainings also include emergency plans for migrant families, with a three-step guide. These steps include how you and your family should prepare before you face detention, how to interact with the officials who are making the arrest, and what to expect to happen inside a detention center.
The organization is creating training made specifically for parents and educators.
“Every student and parent should feel safe entering a school with the ability to completely focus on learning,” Casillas-Hoffman said. “Schools should be safe zones for students to learn, grow, and interact with new ideas.”
Casillas-Hoffman is working alongside the organization to create change in Iowa, and to keep schools a safe place for all students.
“Iowans have a proud history of being leaders in education, of creating and fostering learning for all students. It’s a history that we can and should want to continue. It’s a future we can all work towards, but it’s a future that depends on all of us to be vigilant in working towards,” Casillas-Hoffman said.
Coralville and North Liberty Police Departments
Similar to the Johnson County Sheriff Department, the Coralville Police Department may not detain any individuals, but it can assist ICE if its presence is requested.
“An officer should not detain any individual, for any length of time, for a civil violation of federal immigration laws or a related civil warrant,” CPD’s policy 414.4 states.
The policy also states that “requests by federal immigration officials for assistance from this department should be directed to a supervisor. The Department may provide available support services, such as traffic control or peacekeeping efforts.”
CPD did not provide further information on handling ICE arrests in its jurisdiction.
The North Liberty Police Department’s policies are nearly identical to those in Coralville — with response to federal requests for assistance is the same.
Both departments also share the same policies for determining if it’s appropriate to turn over an individual in their custody to federal agents.
“When notified that an officer has detained an individual and established reasonable suspicion or probable cause to believe the person has violated a criminal immigration offense, the supervisor should determine whether it is appropriate to: (a) Transfer the person to federal authorities. (b) Lawfully arrest the person for a criminal offense or pursuant to a judicial warrant,” CPD policy 414.4.1 and NLPD policy 414.4.1 state.
NLPD Police Chief Diane Venenga added the department does not monitor immigration status with the city’s license plate readers.
“We do not track, monitor, or have access to any illegal immigration lists,” Venenga wrote in an email to the DI. “If requested, and we are available, we will help any other law enforcement agency. Our automatic license plate reader cameras [Flock] do not alert or flag for any civil immigration orders.”