Iowa Executive Order Requires State’s Government to Use E-Verify

On Oct. 8, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order that requires the state’s government agencies to verify employment eligibility before hiring state employees, and to confirm immigration status or U.S. citizenship before granting state-issued occupational and professional licenses.

The order arrived on the heels of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Sept. 28 arrest of now-former Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) Superintendent Ian Roberts, who was subsequently charged with possessing firearms while in the United States illegally.

Roberts, who had been given an order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024, resigned as superintendent just days after his recent arrest. According to DMPS officials, Roberts completed the I-9 employment eligibility verification form and submitted other required documentation verifying his ability to legally work in the United States upon being hired by the district in 2023.

According to a statement from Reynolds’ office, Iowa will use two federal online systems, E-Verify and SAVE, for the purpose of confirming state employees’ eligibility for employment. E-Verify confirms work eligibility, while SAVE verifies immigration status or citizenship.

The just-issued executive order seeks to put safeguards in place “that will verify the legal immigration or citizenship status for anyone requesting a state-issued professional license before they provide services for Iowans or are entrusted with the health, safety or education of our communities,” said Reynolds.

“Additionally, as an employer, the state takes seriously its responsibility to verify work eligibility. While some agencies voluntarily use E-Verify as part of the hiring process, my executive action now makes it a requirement.”