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   XPost: or.politics   
   From: criminally-complicit@sfchronicle.com   
      
   The killing of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts, allegedly   
   at the hands of an illegal immigrant, has placed a spotlight on   
   the state's Democratic party, which this summer denounced   
   federal immigration laws and called for local officials not to   
   enforce them.   
      
   But Iowa Democratic party officials on Wednesday would not say   
   whether they stood by their immigration platform, and instead   
   characterized the matter as a "partisan fight."   
      
   "The Iowa Democratic Party is going to honor the wishes of the   
   Tibbetts family to let them grieve in private and will not turn   
   this senseless tragedy into a partisan fight," Iowa Democratic   
   Party chairman Troy Price told Fox News.   
      
   The national uproar over Tibbetts' slaying also threatens to   
   upend two key House races underway in the state, which are   
   considered potentially pivotal to Democrats' chances of retaking   
   the House in November's midterm elections.   
      
   The 2018 Iowa Democratic Party platform, in a section entitled   
   "Statement of Issues," reads: "We oppose: detaining undocumented   
   minors, immigrant detention/deportation quotas, locally   
   enforcing federal immigration laws, mass raids/related   
   enforcement practices, religious exclusion, 'papers please,'   
   unnecessary travel-bans, abrogating birthright-citizenship,   
   separating minor children from their parents when they are   
   trying to enter the country, internment and concentration camps."   
      
   The platform was adopted at a state convention in June. It goes   
   on in a "Statement of Principles" to "affirm the Democratic   
   Party’s contributions to our nation’s heritage, accomplishments,   
   and diversity."   
      
   What to know about e-verify and what it has to do with the   
   Mollie Tibbetts case   
   Asked directly whether Iowa officials still did not want local   
   police to enforce federal immigration law, Price did not   
   respond. Abby Finkenauer and Cindy Axne, the two candidates   
   Democrats have nominated to take on vulnerable Republican   
   congressmen in the state, did not immediately respond to Fox   
   News' inquiries as to their positions on the party platform.   
      
   On Wednesday, an Iowa judge ordered Cristhian Rivera, the 24-   
   year-old illegal immigrant accused of killing Tibbetts, held on   
   $5 million cash-only bond. Rivera was mostly stoic and looked   
   straight ahead in the courtroom. He wore headphones and used an   
   interpreter when the judge spoke, only answering "Yes" when   
   asked if he understood the proceeding.   
      
   A body believed to be Tibbetts was discovered Tuesday hidden in   
   a corn field beneath several corn stalks after Rivera led   
   authorities to the location.   
      
   Tibbetts' killing has fueled Republican calls to strengthen   
   border security, while raising questions as to how Rivera was   
   able to enter and remain in the country.   
      
   Rivera worked at a dairy farm, Yarrabee Farms, for the past four   
   years -- less than three miles from where the 20-year-old   
   University of Iowa student was staying the night she vanished in   
   July. The company said he was in good standing as a worker and   
   was shocked to learn of his alleged involvement in Tibbetts'   
   disappearance and murder.   
      
   The suspect told law enforcement he approached Tibbetts while   
   she was running, according to authorities. He claimed to have   
   blacked out and realized later that he had put Tibbetts in his   
   trunk. Investigators said they believed Rivera had been in the   
   area for four to seven years.   
      
   On Wednesday night, President Trump cited Tibbetts' case to call   
   for changes to the country's immigration laws.   
      
   "Molly Tibbetts, an incredible young woman, is now permanently   
   separated from her family.  A person came in from Mexico   
   Illegally and killed her.  We need the wall, we need our   
   immigration laws changed. We need our border laws changed. We   
   need Republicans to do it because the Democrats aren’t going to   
   do it. This is one instance of many," the president said in a   
   video posted to Twitter.   
      
      
      
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   Democrats are aggressively trying to flip the House seats of two   
   Republicans in Iowa in November, Reps. David Young in the 3rd   
   Congressional District and Rod Blum in the 1st Congressional   
   District.   
      
   Both races are toss-ups, and are considered key contests as   
   Democrats try to retake the House in the midterms. That would   
   require Democrats winning a total of 24 currently GOP-held seats.   
      
   Immigration had played a significant role in two campaigns even   
   before Tibbetts' disappearance.   
      
   Cristhian Rivera is charged with murder of 20-year-old Iowa   
   student Mollie Tibbetts.   
   Democrats have nominated Finkenauer and Axne to take on Blum and   
   Young, respectively. Both Finkenauer and Axne are seeking to the   
   first women to represent Iowa in the House.   
      
   Axne has vowed to a provide a "full path to citizenship for   
   Dreamers and undocumented immigrants who don't have a criminal   
   background," referring to illegal immigrants brought to the   
   country as children. The progressive Finkenauer also has come   
   out in support of immigration reform.   
      
   Neither Axne nor Finkenauer responded to Fox News' requests for   
   comments on the Tibbetts case.   
      
   On the Republican side, Young had taken a moderate approach to   
   the issue, saying he wanted border security but also a path to   
   citizenship for Dreamers, the Des Moines Register reported.   
   Blum, for his part, has called for an end to family separations   
   at the border in the wake of the Trump administration's "zero   
   tolerance" policy on arresting all illegal border crossers, but   
   stressed that media coverage of the issue has been unfair.   
      
   The Tibbetts case also could have national political   
   ramifications. The once-fringe call to abolish ICE in recent   
   months has been picked up by top 2020 Democratic prospects,   
   including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Kirsten   
   Gillibrand, D-N.Y.   
      
   There are signs not all Democrats are ready to take the idea   
   mainstream, though. In July, House Republicans passed a   
   nonbinding resolution expressing support for ICE, effectively   
   daring Democrats to oppose the measure on record. Only 35   
   Democrats voted against the bill, with 133 voting present.   
      
   http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/22/iowa-dems-reject-   
   partisan-fight-over-mollie-tibbetts-as-platform-opposes-   
   enforcing-federal-immigration-   
   laws.html?intcmp=ob_article_footer_text&intcmp=obnetwork   
                                       
      
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