Hunter
03/27/28
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has released her report on Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx’s February 4th Facebook post claiming that he would be a sanctuary sheriff and refuse to enforce immigration laws. The report concludes that the post violated Iowa Code Chapter 27A, which prohibits state law enforcement from discouraging cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Sheriff Marx’s post read in part, “If the fed’s actions and paperwork are within constitutional parameters (such as proper and valid judicial warrants/court orders) we will assist if needed or requested to ensure their actions are carried out professionally and in the least intrusive fashion possible.” Marx goes on to say if the paperwork isn’t within constitutional parameters, his office “will make every effort to block, interfere and interrupt their actions from moving forward.”
Governor Kim Reynolds sent the Attorney General’s office an official complaint for investigation following the post. On February 14, Sheriff Marx responded and explained that his office has complied with all 21 of the ICE detainers that it has received.
In her statement, Bird said, “Iowa law makes clear that there are no sanctuary counties. Any reports of sanctuary counties or sheriffs will be investigated. Our investigation into Winneshiek County found that the sheriff is violating the law, and we are giving the sheriff a chance to fix the problem. Failure to do so means that his county may lose all state funding.”
The Attorney General’s Office is giving Sheriff Marx an opportunity to delete the post in question and issue a clarifying post disavowing the original post and admitting that there were many incorrect statements regarding his office’s policies on ICE detainers.
Bird said they will close their investigation once the Sheriff has done so.