Organizers of a planned weekend rally in northwest Iowa are calling on people to support immigrants and refugees. The Rally for Human Dignity is scheduled for Saturday morning in Sioux Center.
The event is being organized by Maria Magdalena Reformed Church, where Jason Lief is co-pastor. He says immigrants in the community are still worried about being deported.
“They’re going now after people who don’t have criminal records,” Lief says. “Nobody wants criminals living in their neighborhood, but when they start going after the people who have who have lived here for a longer period of time, have businesses, families, and are just good members of our community, that’s when we decided, ‘Okay, we need to speak out.’”
Sioux County overwhelmingly backed Donald Trump in 2024, but Lief says Saturday’s rally is a nonpartisan gathering that will feature music and prayer.
“We want people to see this isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue,” he says. “I know many Republicans here in Sioux County, they love their immigrant neighbors.”
While there are many immigrants living in the community, there may not be many of them at the rally, as Lief says they fear they’re being targeted.
“There is a lot of worries,” he says, “and in fact, talking to my immigrant friends about this event, many of them were like, ‘Well, we won’t be there,’ and I don’t blame them.”
Lief is urging Congressman Randy Feenstra, who represents the region, to support the Dignity Act, which allows limited legal status for some immigrants. Lief says the proposal isn’t perfect but it would be a start toward broader reform.
The event begins at 10 AM at Sioux Center’s Central Park bandshell.
(By Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)