Written by: Paige Henze 

The University of Iowa Center for Human Rights and its ALL Iowa partners hosted ALL Iowa for Justice: Immigration Law, Advocacy & Community Leadership Sept. 1–2, 2026, at the Iowa Memorial Union.

The conference brought together lawyers, community leaders, advocates, and service providers to discuss the changing legal landscape facing refugees and others navigating humanitarian immigration pathways. Sessions focused on topics including immigration law updates, legal advocacy, asylum and Temporary Protected Status, community organizing, and sustaining immigration legal services in Iowa as federal funding declines. These changes have created some uncertainty for organizations that provide legal assistance and support to immigrant communities. 

ALL Iowa is a statewide collaboration that includes the University of Iowa College of Law’s Immigration Clinic and Center for Human Rights, as well as other legal and community partners across the state. One partner, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, serves about 3,000 people annually but announced a 40% reduction in legal services due to government funding cuts, meaning it could no longer represent roughly 1,000 people. The conference gave partners an opportunity to discuss how organizations can continue supporting immigrant and refugee communities amid these challenges. The conference and ALL Iowa’s work were recently featured in The Cedar Rapids Gazette and an episode of Iowa Public Radio’s River to River examined the ongoing uncertainty facing Afghan refugees in Iowa. The episode featured speakers connected to the ALL Iowa conference.