Two immigrant advocacy groups in Iowa have merged and are expanding services to immigrants and refugees across the state.
American Friends Service Committee Iowa and Iowa Justice for Our Neighbors combined their 45 years of service and officially became Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice on April 1.
It s a partnership that Executive Director Erica Johnson said expands the organization s reach since, before the merger, a majority of immigrant services were concentrated in central Iowa. We took stock of the unprecedented need and thought that we re stronger together, Johnson said.
She said Iowa MMJ is now a cohesive statewide organization that will utilize years of advocacy experience from AFSC and JFON s legal expertise.
AP
A coalition of racial justice organizations and community advocates are calling on state leaders to take urgent action to control the spread of the coronavirus within Iowa s jails and prisons.
A coalition of racial justice organizations and community advocates are calling on Iowa officials to take aggressive and proactive steps to slow the spread of the coronavirus within the state’s jails and prisons. The groups are sending a letter to state officials including Gov. Kim Reynolds, the Department of Corrections and the Board of Parole, as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling for urgent action in the often overcrowded facilities, where staff have struggled to control explosive outbreaks.