Judge blocks Iowa law allowing state authorities to arrest and deport migrants

A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked Iowa from enforcing a state law that would allow local authorities to arrest, charge and deport migrants who were previously denied entry or deported from the US.

The Biden administration sued Iowa over the new law last month, arguing that the federal government has “exclusive authority under federal law to regulate the entry and removal of noncitizens,” and US District Court Judge Stephen Locher said the Justice Department was likely to prevail in its case when he issued the preliminary injunction. 

“As a matter of politics, the...