KCCI EIGHT NEWS AT TEN STARTS NOW. NEW TONIGHT, THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE IS TAKING CENTER STAGE AT THE STEPS OF THE STATEHOUSE. KCCI’S OPHELIA JACOBSON IS THERE LIVE WITH THE MESSAGE FROM DEMONSTRATORS. OPHELIA. STACEY. BEN. A NEW STATE LAW ALLOWS POLICE TO ARREST UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS HERE IN THE STATE OF IOWA. PEOPLE TELL ME THEY FEEL THE LAW TARGETS THE MIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE IN IOWA. HOLDING THEIR UMBRELLAS, POSTERS AND AMERICAN FLAGS, HUNDREDS OF IOWANS GATHERED IN THE RAIN TO PROTEST IOWA’S NEW IMMIGRATION LAW. IT’S RAINING A LOT, AND IT’S BEEN RAINING FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, YET WE’RE STILL ALL HERE IN A COMMUNITY TO SPREAD THE WORD. ONE GROUP RALLIED ON THE STEPS OF THE STATE HOUSE, WHILE ANOTHER FILLED STEWART SQUARE PARK WITH VOICES OF OPPOSITION. IOWA IS NOT TEXAS. PEOPLE LIKE FILIBERTO LOZANO AND HER DAUGHTER WANT THE GOVERNOR TO KNOW THEY ARE STRONG OPPOSED TO THE LAW. ESTAMOS AQUI PARA UM PROTEST. LOZANO RGUES THE LAW TARGETS THE LATINO COMMUNITY. OTHERS SAY IT’S CAUSED A LOT OF ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE. THERE’S A LOT OF FEAR AND A LOT OF DISCONNECTION, AND PEOPLE START WONDERING, WELL, SHOULD I STAY HERE? THE PROTESTS COME LESS THAN ONE MONTH AFTER GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SIGNED LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ARREST MIGRANTS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY DENIED ENTRY OR DEPORTED FROM THE COUNTRY. AND I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS, OF THIS STATE AND I’M GOING TO DO WHATEVER I CAN TO IMPLEMENT THAT. REYNOLDS WAS ASKED ABOUT THE LAW WEDNESDAY. SHE ARGUES IT’S HUMANITY ARION AND THE ANSWER TO WHAT SHE’S CALLING A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE. IT SENDS A MESSAGE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO COME. IF YOU’VE BEEN DEPORTED OR IF YOU WERE DENIED AND YOU’RE IN THIS COUNTRY ILLEGAL. DEMONSTRATE. SUPPORTERS ARGUE THE LAW SENDS A DIFFERENT MESSAGE. IT’S A VERY NEGATIVE MESSAGE. IT’S A MESSAGE THAT WANTS TO CRIMINALIZE THE COMMUNITY. BUT THEY HOPE THAT BY SHOWING UP IN NUMBERS, SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY IN ANY WAY THAT YOU CAN. THEIR COMMUNITY WILL FEEL AN OUTPOURING OF HOPE AND RESILIENCE. DESPITE THE NEW LEGISLATION, ASHTON. AND DEMONSTRATE STEPHEN BAYNES WERE ALSO HELD TONIGHT IN IOWA CITY, DAVENPORT AND WATERLOO. ORGANIZERS TELL ME THEY’LL DO IT ALL AGAIN ON JULY 1ST. WHEN THE LAW TAKES EFFECT. LIVE IN DOWNTOWN DES MOINES. OFELIA JACOBSEN, KCCI EIGHT NEWS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. THANKS, OPHELIA AND IN A RARE MOVE, THE IOWA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE IS WEIGHING IN ON THIS ISSUE. THE ORGANIZATION TELLS KCCI THAT THE LAW DOES NOT PROVIDE A VIABLE SOLUTION FOR LONGTIME RESIDENTS WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS. IT SAYS IN PART, QUOTE, AS WE REMEMBER OUR HISTORY, AS IMMIGRANTS IN IOWA, LET US WORK TOGETHER TOWARD A FAIR AND COMPASSIONAT