Meeting Public Comments

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

Comments Submitted:

01-29-2024

Sophie Banegas []

My name is Sophie Banegas and I am a thirdyear medical student at the University of Iowa. I grew up in Cumming, Iowa and have lived here my entire life. It is my intention, as of right now, to stay here in Iowa as a physician to address the dismal quality of health in our state. Public health research shows over and over again that secure housing, social services, and access to lowcost healthcare is integral for the vitalization of communities and lowering the cost of healthcare. This means that every Iowan should have access to work in order to support their livelihoods. The consequence of this, as we already see, is overutilization of emergency services by undocumented individuals because they do not have access to primary and preventative healthcare. This creates an undue burden on state funds in order to reimburse hospitals for these high costs. By stripping undocumented individuals from their livelihoods, this problem will only become worse. Additionally, undocumented individuals are unable to obtain work permits and it is extremely difficult for them to get a job in Iowa. They are ineligible for most public assistance already, despite the fact that they are taxpaying individuals who contribute to the local economy. They are overrepresented in service jobs and essential infrastructure that keep our farmland enriched, grocery stores stocked, roads clean, buildings safe, and our city beautiful. If we continue to prevent their access to employment, and criminalize the individuals who help them, there will be a devastating negative impact on the Iowa local economy. This was seen in Florida when a similar bill was passed and over 50% of construction services were halted. Immigrants, documented and otherwise, do the hard work to keep our community functioning and productive.I will be monitoring the progression of this bill as well as how each of you vote on its progression. One thing I can assure you is that if you keep pedaling antiimmigrant bills, I will not be staying to provide the muchneeded healthcare services in this state. Additionally, I will encourage my network of physicians, politicians, healthcare workers and Iowa residents to not reelect any individuals who vote for these dangerous and xenophobic bills. Please do the right thing and stop attacking people who are unlike yourself. As your constituent, I implore you to focus my tax money and resources to protect the health, livelihoods, education, and food security of the people of Iowa.

01-29-2024

Laura Castro []

Dear subcommittee members, I am strongly against HSB 105. I am a US citizen and feel that this is a dehumanizing bill to pass against residents of Iowa that contribute to the economy greatly and have not broken any law. That is a btise economic move. I urge you to oppose HF 105 and any further bill similar to this. Thank you for your time.Sincerely, Laura Castro

01-29-2024

Holly Rozenboom []

I oppose this bill! Undocumented immigrants are extremely productive members of society! They are very important to Iowas economy. They should have the right to work! As the ACLU put it, Immigrants pay more than $90 billion in taxes every year and receive only $5 billion in welfare. Without their contributions to the public treasury, the economy would suffer enormous losses. Do not pass this bill!

01-29-2024

Michelle Macias []

I strongly oppose this bill. Antiimmigrant bills are never the solution to immigration reform. Immigrants play an essential role in making the economy function. Passing this bill will only hurt the economy. This bill will also hurt immigrants because there will be employers that allow them to work and these are the same employers that will overwork them and hold their legal status against them. This bill is therefore going to place employers and employees in a toxic and tense work environment. I strongly urge the committee to listen and take into consideration all the comments as this bill will impact a lot of people. Both U.S citizens and undocumented workers will be harmed as a result of this bill. Thank you for your time.

01-29-2024

Bradley Worley []

This bill seems to be yet another attempt by the government to control who and how Iowans hire to perform job duties, if the vast majority of the voluntary everfification, a figure I am told is 99%, are eligible anyways, why force Iowan employees to adopt this method over the preexisting methods to hire locals? It seems like if 99% pass anyways, and some false positives could happen, and potentially teenagers could be incidentally added, doesn't this seem like a waste of Iowan tax dollars in the first place? Even if this succeeds and fires or forces many illegals in the state of Iowa to be unemployed, is that really the victory we want to celebrate, making people jobless and therefore homeless? If you're going to have illegals in your state, and not immediately deport them back to where they came, then can't they at least work and pay income taxes while they're here waiting for their hearings? This seems like a diaster waiting to happen if you force people out of proper and genuine employment you could cause some people to resort to less than legal ways to find income to feed their families. If this still does not compel you to reconsider, can it be added that those immigrants who are in the process of applying for their green cards be given a waiver or exemption to this bill? If they are going to become Americans soon anyways, why force them to struggle financial as well until they get their green cards, a process that takes a long time? Is that really the signal we want to give out to people that if you want to be legal citizens and you're here, we're going to make you struggle even more? This seems if given an exemption it could incentivize those to apply for their green cards and or citizenship if they are eligible. Forcing them to financially struggle doesn't benefit Iowans in the first place.

01-29-2024

Paola Nieto []

I oppose this bill as it will create even more hardships for employers to hire seasonal employees. Many seasonal laborers are willing to work in undesirable conditions such as on top of a roof while is over 100 degrees outside, or shoveling our sidewalk when the windchill is 45 degrees, cleaning offices, cooking, and harvesting our food. If employers cannot hire these hard working individuals, whos is going to their jobs? We do not need are more homelessness in Iowa. Its clear that more, and more people are panhandling in our streets each day. I much rather see a person working, than being homeless only because no one will hire them. But I am sure that these individuals who are willing to work for the minimum in less than desirable jobs will move to a more welcoming state, and then the employee shortage will be even worst.

01-30-2024

Lindsay Mack []

I oppose this bill! SF 108/HSB 105 aims to address immigration concerns but risks unfairly penalizing businesses and job seekers. Emphasizing more compassionate solutions would better serve both Iowa's economy and its diverse community, fostering inclusivity and understanding.

01-30-2024

Tommy Medina []

I oppose this bill. Listen to the constituents. As a small business owner this would be detrimental to a lot of businesses. Lets talk about what really matters here. the money Lets not forget the fact that they all still pay and contribute to state tax, income tax, property tax, sales tax and Federal Tax. All that money for the state would be gone. Do I have your attention? This would drive a lot of families to move to a different state, what happened to Florida would be happening in Iowa. To but things to perspective. Undocumented workers made $12.6 billion in wages. Which they contributed 923 million to state and federal tax. This would not be a fix. In all reality the occupation that immigrants hold are jobs that nobody else would be willing to take on, especially for the pay. Now in days a documented person demands to get paid a good salary and get away with doing the bare minimum. That is the reality we live in. The vast majority of immigrants are over worked and underpaid, and all they are wanting to do is work.

01-31-2024

Ariele Andalon []

This bill prevents immigrants from becoming productive citizens in this state and business owners from achieving financial success. Many places in Iowa have a difficult enough time staffing their operations without this law being in place. I urge you to think about the longterm devastating consequences these antiimmigrant bills will have and reconsider passing them.

01-31-2024

Daniela Gutierrez []

This is removing work from where it is needed the most. People will no longer be able to provide for their family. Undocumented workers make up a vast majority of the workforce, the repercussions of this are not being considered fully.

01-31-2024

Ginny Kjer []

I oppose this bill. Undocumented people are commonly willing to work jobs that naturalborn citizens are unwilling to. Instead of preventing them from working, we could focus on improving the citizenship process. Most undocumented people are simply trying to have a better life than they left behind.

02-01-2024

Diana Borja [Humanitario ]

I oppose this law we are all human we all need support we are not animals we are human beings just like you maybe another color another language but we are equal for a moment put yourself in my place what if you are lacking and the only thing you want is something better we are not Criminals, we are children of the same God, we are brothers, God loves you just as he loves me. I oppose this law against immigrants. After all, I am just your worker.

02-06-2024

Nate Holdren []

For a party that is supposedly about small government, why would Republicans want to help force the government into business owners' decisions in this way? Like other recent bills on immigration this bill would harm immigrants, their families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. It would drive people out of Iowa, harming the economy and culture of our state. This is especially ironic at a time when businesses are crying that they need more workers. Once again politicians are out of touch with normal people's lives and needs.