Editor’s note: At the Jan. 21 West Liberty City Council meeting, council member and Mayor Pro Tem Cara McFerren said she had heard concerns about President Donald Trump’s new administration.
In the weeks following the meeting, the West Liberty Index reached out, and McFerren provided this personal statement in response.
As a citizen of West Liberty and an elected representative, I want to share my personal perspective on recent events.
I have not heard any recent news regarding immigration activities in or around West Liberty at the local level. Most reports seem to be from a national perspective, and I haven’t received any additional concerns from citizens.
Even if federal agents were present in town, our local police department, county agencies, or city administration would not necessarily receive advanced notice. Federal agencies such as ICE, the Justice Department, Homeland Security, U.S. Customs, the State Department, and the Labor Department are not required to notify local agencies of their actions. If they do, it is considered a courtesy rather than a mandate.
In our democratic society, all citizens are afforded equal opportunity under the law, though outcomes are not always guaranteed to be equal. This is the nature of our political and bureaucratic process. However, this does not justify calls for harsh actions against immigrants or the disregard of basic humanitarian rights. The structure of our government follows a chain of command that ultimately leads to the Constitution of the United States, which no single agency or official can override.
With the new federal administration and the numerous executive orders, particularly regarding immigration, there are concerns about the extent of executive power and its impact on our representative democracy. I question how much of our core values have shifted in relation to the rule of law and basic human rights. While the future is uncertain, I am confident that West Liberty will continue to uphold its tradition of welcoming diverse people and supporting human dignity, as Iowa is known for. Thank you,
Cara McFerren,
Council at Large/Mayor Pro Tem