The Johnson County Board of Supervisors heard from members of the public and members of Escucha Mi Voz at a Wednesday meeting while discussing Fourth Amendment protections. 

Escucha Mi Voz is a faith based, immigrant-led organization that does community work for Johnson County and Iowa City. The organization and community members called on the board to pass a Fourth Amendment resolution. 

The resolution would require law enforcement to have judicial warrants for non-public access to private spaces. The resolution said the county would periodically hold workplace protocol training for supervisors and staff, consistent with the resolution. 

Escucha Mi Voz also recently called on the Iowa City City Council to pass the resolution. 

The board heard from several constituents during the public comment section of the meeting, including family members of Jorge Elieser González Ochoa, who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE agents while working at Bread Garden Market in Iowa City on Sept. 25. 

Eva Castro, the mother in-law of González Ochoa, asked the board for help, urging them to pass the resolution. 

“We don’t want our rights to continue to be obliterated,” she said. “We are here because we believe every worker deserves safety in their workplace and protections from ICE raids with no judicial warrants.” 

Clara Reynen, a graduate student at the University of Iowa and city council candidate in the 2025 elections, also spoke in support of the resolution and called the resolution one of the best she has seen in terms of language. 

RELATED: Escucha Mi Voz members call on IC City Council to pass human rights commission resolution

“I think passing something like this would go a long way,” she said. “Having public support from the county would be really great, and I would encourage you to pass a resolution.” 

Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz said they would support the resolution. Fixmer-Oraiz said the point of the resolution was to identify what responsibilities the county had to its employees and constituents when it comes to understanding ICE processes and protocols 

“You can’t just keep eroding our nation’s democratic processes and due process. It’s unconscionable, and so I do believe that it is time that, as a county, we take this step forward,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. 

Supervisor Mandi Remington thanked Fixmer-Oraiz for working and meeting with the community to help bring the resolution before the board, and said she would be in support of the resolution

“I think that this is the version that seems to be most supported by the most people impacted and have the least concerns from others out of all of the versions that we’ve looked at so far,” Remington said. 

The board discussed the resolution and decided to wait to vote on it until county employees were informed about the resolution and what it could mean for them. The board decided on sending an email to employees, in case of questions or concerns, before they make a final decision. 

Fixmer-Oraiz voiced many concerns about waiting to pass the resolution and highlighted its importance to the community.  

“I think that as a local government, it is our responsibility also to say, look, what is going on in our country is unacceptable, and what do we have in terms of local control?” they said. 

The board will vote on the resolution at their formal meeting on Dec. 18 with potential edits.