Lawsuit Dismissed by Iowa's Attorney General Against Vocal Sheriff
In a surprising turn of events, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced on July 18, 2025, that she would be dropping the lawsuit against Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx. The lawsuit was filed in March 2025, accusing Marx of failing to comply with Iowa law requiring local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The dispute began in February 2025 when Marx publicly stated that his deputies would not assist federal immigration agents with detainer requests he viewed as unconstitutional. Specifically, Marx expressed mistrust and concerns about ICE detainers that hold individuals without warrants, arguing that such actions violated Fourth and Sixth Amendment rights.
The legal action was sparked by a Facebook post by Marx, in which he suggested that his department was not always required to detain people upon request of federal immigration authorities. This stance led to a demand from Attorney General Bird for Marx to retract his statement and issue a written apology, which he refused to do.
The lawsuit threatened to strip Winneshiek County of state funding until Marx complied with honoring ICE detainers and cooperating with federal immigration authorities as required by state law prohibiting sanctuary policies. The dispute drew significant local attention, with hundreds of residents rallying in support of Sheriff Marx, emphasizing constitutional rights and freedom of speech.
However, on July 18, Attorney General Bird abruptly dismissed the lawsuit, stating that Winneshiek County and Sheriff Marx are now in "full compliance" with Iowa’s anti-sanctuary law (27A) and have committed to continued cooperation with ICE. Despite this, the previously demanded public retraction and statement of full cooperation with federal immigration officials were never published or enforced.
Thomas Hansen, a local Republican Party official from Winneshiek County, believes that Attorney General Bird's lawsuit was, in part, filed because Marx refused to publish a scripted apology. Hansen, along with Rockne, another local official, have rallied for Marx due to his perceived integrity and service to Winneshiek County.
Ellen Rockne, a local member of the Democratic Party, supports Sheriff Marx's commitment to upholding constitutional principles. Marx defended his position by stating that his office's oath requires allegiance to the Constitution, and he would comply with any detainer requests if and when the federal government's policies align with the Constitution.
An investigation spearheaded by Bird's own office found that the sheriff had complied with each of the nearly two-dozen detainer requests received from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Despite this, the lawsuit was dropped without receiving the apology Bird had sought, and with no public admission of error from Marx.
This legal battle has highlighted tensions over immigration enforcement at the local level in Iowa and raised constitutional concerns regarding ICE detainer requests. The residents of Winneshiek County continue to support Marx in the hope that a more amicable solution may be found to the lawsuit.
- The ongoing dispute between Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, initially sparked by politics and policy-and-legislation, including Iowa's anti-sanctuary law (27A), has shifted from general-news to crime-and-justice following the drop of the lawsuit on July 18, 2025.
- Despite the dismissal of the lawsuit, the dispute between Attorney General Brenna Bird and Sheriff Dan Marx remains a contentious issue in Iowa's policy-and-legislation, as the constitutional concerns surrounding ICE detainer requests in local law enforcement continue to be debated within the context of crime-and-justice and politics.
