Iowa defended its new immigration law on Monday and argued that the state's ability to file criminal charges against people did not infringe on federal authority over immigration because local officials would abide by all federal regulations.
Lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of civil rights groups are seeking a temporary or permanent injunction of the law, which goes into effect July 1 unless it's blocked by the courts. The law is similar to one in Texas, which has been temporarily blocked, and another in Oklahoma that the DOJ is seeking to stop.
