Juan’s fingers interlocked as he sat on his living room couch. He squeezed them tighter as he talked about his American journey.
Immigrants he knows live in constant fear, he told IPR News in Spanish.
"Many people live with that fear constantly, especially those with families," Juan said. IPR is using only his first name because he doesn’t want to become a target of federal immigration officers.
Juan shared that he came to the U.S. from Guatemala more than 30 years ago in search of a better life and became a citizen a decade ago.
Now a successful business owner, he worries about his employees in the U.S. without legal status.
Juan called them good people.
"If I am afraid for my employees, [it's] because they are good people," he said in Spanish.
ICE enforcement surges in Iowa
Iowa may not grab the same attention as cities like Minneapolis or Chicago, but U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is far more active in the state than in recent years.
Enforcement numbers obtained by the Deportation Data Project show that last year, more than 1,500 immigrants were arrested. That’s more than the last three years of the Biden administration combined.
More than 1,600 people were deported from January 2025 through early March of this year. That’s three times more than when President Joe Biden was in office.
Elena Casillas-Hoffman, communications specialist with the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, said it’s been a challenging time for immigrants.
“Individuals are finding that they have little to no other resources to fight their cases,” Casillas-Hoffman said. “Potentially, individuals had a status and lost that status, not by anything that they did but because the government pulled that out from underneath them.”
The true numbers of arrests and deportations are likely higher than reported, according to Casillas-Hoffman. That’s because much of the data obtained by the Deportation Data Project was through Freedom of Information Act requests and lawsuits.
In an email to IPR News the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated nearly 70% of all ICE arrests involve someone with criminal charges and 3 million people were deported nationwide. DHS did not provide specific information for Iowa.
From Minneapolis to Sioux City
Things might be quiet now in Sioux City, but a growing network of allies prepares for what could come next.
Native American activist Manape LaMere has led protest marches against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including a recent "No Kings" gathering.
LaMere also co-founded the Siouxland Guardians. The grassroots organization shows volunteers rapid response techniques as they anticipate possible ICE activity.
“If we didn't have people trained in that, we'd never know about Renée Good or Alex Pretti. We'd never know about it because people wouldn't have known to start recording,” LaMere said.
LaMere traveled to Minneapolis during the aftermath of Renée Nicole Good's and Alex Pretti's deaths and is bringing what he learned back to Sioux City to educate others about nonviolent frontline action.
“It does build a flame in my heart,” LaMere said. “For now, I advocate that we organize and we have the right to blow whistles on them.”
The Siouxland Guardians are learning how to use warning whistles, interact safely with agents and track their actions. There’s also a hotline to report ICE sightings and for immigrants to call if they need anything. So far, about 30 people are in training.
“We just want to be prepared to receive that family that might come crying. They might come with really hard feelings in their heart about how America is treating them. And I just want to reassure them that it's not always the case,” LaMere said.
Faith and organizing
While the Siouxland Guardians continue to recruit new members, the Rev. Bret Myers with the First Congregational United Church of Christ preaches on the importance of caring for others.
In a sermon last month that was posted online, he called for people to act against what he calls fascism.
“Minnesotans rally to love their neighbors, to make sacrifices on their behalf and to support their neighbors in a myriad of ways," Myers said. "Their example should be an example of resurrection life for all of us."
Myers urged others to speak up.
“We have to fight back and say, ‘No, we're not going to be a part of this. We will not be complicit,’” he added.
Myers put his words into action when he formed a group called Solidarity for a Better World after the last presidential election.
“It's important for us to be proactive and to organize so as to create communities of having each other's back,” Myers said. “Immigrants, particularly, are being targeted by this regime — I don't call it an administration — it's not really a government.”
The group meets twice a month, with sometimes as many as 200 people. They hear from experts about the importance of democracy and support vulnerable residents with clothing, food and other necessities.
“If things get really scary here in Sioux City, they know they have people that they can rely on,” Myers said.
Some of the group's activities remain private. Myers admitted to feeling uneasy talking about his advocacy work.
“For some things, we don’t want to put out there what we’re doing. Even this interview kind of makes me a little shaky,” Myers said. “We want to do whatever we can to help the people who are the most oppressed in this world.”
A long history of support
But support for immigrants isn’t new in Sioux City.
The Mary J. Treglia Community House has roots going back more than 105 years. In the past, newcomers arrived from Europe. Today, they come from all over the world.
Executive Director Barb Newhouse said even for citizens and those here legally, there’s a lot of fear.
“Everyone is looking and assuming that someone is doing something wrong, when the majority of the people in the Siouxland area have worked through the systems that they need to work through — all in the right way,” Newhouse said. “They’re working, they’re paying taxes and they’re doing all the right stuff.”
Newhouse strongly believes people should show empathy toward immigrants who might have escaped difficult or dangerous situations.
“Instead of leading with the assumption that someone is a bad person, lead first with the assumption that someone's got a good heart — a kind heart — and that they just want a better life,” Newhouse said.
