The post Iowa Dem Josh Turek Rejects Immediate Deportation of Illegal Aliens, Incorrectly Links Reps. Miller-Meeks and Feenstra to Dignity Act appeared first on Breitbart.
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Obama-endorsed Iowa Democrat U.S. Senate nominee Josh Turek said illegal immigrants should not face immediate deportation during an exchange with NBC News anchor Tom Llamas, while inaccurately linking Republican Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Randy Feenstra (R-IA) to the Dignity Act, immigration legislation that would establish a pathway to legal status for certain illegal immigrants.
Turek, who is challenging Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), made the remarks when Llamas pressed him on whether people who enter the United States illegally should be deported.
“If you come to this country illegally, should you be deported?” Llamas asked.
“If you come here illegally, should you be deported? I agree with Representative Nunn and Miller Meeks and Feenstra in the Dignity Act that there should be a pathway available for you. If you’re willing to pass a background check,” Turek responded.
Llamas interrupted Turek to clarify his position, asking, “So that’s a no?”
“Not an immediate deportation,” Turek replied. “What I will say is I think there should be a pathway to earn citizenship for people that have come here legally, but the system is completely broken.”
Turek’s response linked Reps. Zach Nunn (R-IA), Miller-Meeks, and Feenstra to the Dignity Act, although neither Miller-Meeks nor Feenstra is a cosponsor of the legislation.
Turek’s comments come as Miller-Meeks has also highlighted immigration enforcement in her reelection campaign against Democrat Christina Bohannan, a University of Iowa law professor.
Following this week’s debate, Miller-Meeks wrote on X, “The border is closed, criminals are being deported, and benefits for illegal aliens are cut off. Christina Bohannan would undo all of it.”
https://x.com/millermeeks/status/2112707497706369383
Bohannan previously opposed Iowa’s Back the Blue Act, enacted in 2021 following riots and protests in 2020 that left multiple law enforcement officers injured. The legislation increased penalties for rioting and certain protest-related offenses, protected law enforcement officers from having their personal information publicly disclosed, and expanded qualified immunity protections for police. Bohannan, who chaired the University of Iowa Law School’s diversity, equity, and inclusion committee in 2020, urged students and staff to “support the movement” by donating to the Minnesota Freedom Fund and National Bail Out Fund. She also acknowledged being “very active” in a group working to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and establish sanctuary cities. In 2019, she donated to bail out illegal aliens through a group that dreamed of achieving a “world without police.”
Miller-Meeks introduced legislation in March 2025 to codify President Donald Trump’s executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, arguing that the policy would strengthen national unity and provide economic benefits. “By making English the official language, we will build cohesion in America united by a common language and reap economic benefits. I am proud to stand with President Trump and codify his Executive Order Designating English as the Official Language of the United States,” Miller-Meeks told Breitbart News in an exclusive statement. “Together, we will continue to push the America First agenda!”
The Dignity Act, introduced by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), has faced opposition from immigration enforcement advocates. As Breitbart News reported in April, the Immigration Accountability Project described the proposal as “amnesty for millions of illegal aliens,” including “so-called Dreamers,” illegal immigrants who entered the United States before 2021, those who marry U.S. citizens, and employers who hired illegal immigrants. “It is not a serious immigration bill. IT IS AMNESTY,” the organization said. The Center for Immigration Studies estimated that the proposal would provide “amnesty for 12 million now plus more than five million extra immigrants over the next decade.”
Other objections focused on specific provisions of the legislation. Social media commentator WallStreetMav said Section 2303(d) “basically blocks all deportations by ICE,” while another commentator, Ursa Major, said the provision “Prohibits DHS from deporting any illegals who simply applies for her ‘dignity’ program.” Ursa Major also criticized Section 1502 for decreasing processing times for asylum seekers and requiring DHS to ensure contact with legal counsel, which the commentator characterized as providing free lawyers to illegal immigrants. The commentator further criticized Section 3202 for more than doubling per-country immigrant visa caps and Section 3112 for allowing the attorney general to “terminate removal proceedings” against illegal immigrants who are family members of U.S. citizens.
Salazar rejected accusations that the legislation constitutes amnesty, calling the characterization “a deliberate distortion” of the proposal. “This is enforcement first: zero tolerance for criminals, permanent border security, and hard, earned requirements to step forward and face the law, so American workers are protected, not undercut,” she wrote in April. “Amnesty is the chaos you’ve defended, millions in the shadows, no control, no accountability, and a system that stopped working a long time ago.” She further defended the legislation, stating, “No shortcuts. No giveaways. No blanket forgiveness. That’s law and order. That’s DIGNITY.”
Breitbart News previously reported in August that Turek had repeatedly called for “an easier pathway to citizenship” for illegal immigrants, first using the phrase in April and repeating it during an August interview with the Cedar Rapids Gazette. His official legislative newsletter also included a section titled “Know Your Rights as an Immigrant,” directing readers to the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) guidance on immigrants’ rights. “Given the recent policy changes enacted by the Trump administration on both legal and illegal immigrants, I wanted to provide a thorough list of your rights and how they apply in different scenarios,” Turek wrote. “The ACLU is a great resource that provides tips on what to do in various situations.” Turek also voted to restrict Iowa law enforcement from working with ICE to deport dangerous illegal immigrants, supported taxpayer funding for initiatives related to welfare benefits for illegal immigrants despite his campaign saying he “opposes benefits for illegal immigrants,” and missed a March 2025 vote concerning verification of voters’ citizenship.
During an October Senate debate, Hinson criticized Turek’s support for amnesty for illegal immigrants, referencing the case of 21-year-old Sarah Root.
“I would say tell that to the mother of Sarah Root, Michelle Root, who lost her daughter to an illegal immigrant who killed Sarah Root because he was here illegally and he was driving drunk,” Hinson said.
Turning to the Dignity Act, Hinson continued, “I think it’s also important to talk about the specifics of that legislation, which would have allowed up to 5,000 more illegal immigrants to cross across the southern border every single day. We needed to turn off that spigot of illegal immigration, and we did that. We’ve taken care of the problem, and my opponent doesn’t want to recognize that his votes would actually make our country less safe.”
Turek also denied Hinson’s accusation that his legislative newsletter advised immigrants on avoiding deportation and immigration enforcement, responding, “That is a lie.”
“If you want the cartels to be back in business, vote for Josh Turek, who is allowing your taxpayer dollars to go to illegal immigrants and make it harder for our law enforcement to comply with immigration enforcement,” Hinson said.
Breitbart News also reported October 20 that a Turek campaign advertisement promoting his support from law enforcement featured Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner and Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald, two Democrats who previously opposed certain forms of cooperation with ICE. “As a law enforcement officer, I know Josh Turek has our back, and yours,” Fitzgerald said in the advertisement. Fitzgerald directed Story County to stop honoring ICE detainers in 2014, arguing that authorities
