10-07-2025
Prompted by 'political threats,' this Iowa nonprofit that supports immigrants has closed
A local nonprofit is closing its doors after 13 years supporting immigrants in eastern Iowa, citing "political threats" and internal divisiveness.
The Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa first opened in 2012 in Iowa City, helping low-wage and immigrant workers understand their rights, win wage theft disputes and promote social and economic justice.
The organization's Board of Directors announced its closure in a Facebook post on Wednesday, July 9.
"We came to this decision in response to severe external political threats and irreconcilable divisions within the organization," the post said.
The Center for Worker Justice announced in June that their work was "suspended indefinitely" amid strikes within their union staff. The union, Teamsters 238, said the strike began over "unfair labor practices and poor working conditions." The Teamsters wrote that the Center for Work Justice's labor problem was caused by "arrogance and poor management."
The striking workers were "demanding to fire the executive director" and wanted additional control in the hiring of a new executive director, CWJ said in June.
More: Advocates: Iowa man given 30 days to gather his items, say goodbye before deportation
The Board of Directors' post didn't specifically say whether the strike inspired the closure.
"Today, the exclusions in our laws are growing, the threats to immigrants and organizations like ours are unprecedented, and funding sources are diminishing," the organization wrote. "Meanwhile, over the past several months, internal divisions have paralyzed our ability to respond to external threats and intensified the risks our vulnerable activists already face."
The Center for Worker Justice reflected on several successes over its 13 years in the Iowa City area.
The organization offered free workshops on the English language, computer skills, tenants' rights, sewing, immigration and more. The center said it helped workers recover more than $250,000 in lost wages.
More: Gowrie man guilty in killing of teen that rocked rural Iowa community
The Center for Worker Justice also helped residents of Forest View and Rose Oaks find new housing when investors unexpectedly told them that they couldn't renew their leases.
The Center distributed "hundreds of thousands" of dollars in aid during the Pandemic, primarily to non-English speakers and others who struggled to apply.
Board member Loxi Hopkins said she felt "privileged" to work alongside "the immigrants and refugees that were the driving force behind this organization."
'At a time when some are disparaging immigrants, CWJ has been a vehicle for the caring strength of immigrant leaders who have improved our entire region," Hopkins said in a statement. "I am proud to have been part of the advisory committee envisioning what CWJ might become to seeing all that was accomplished through the years. I am so grateful to have been able to be a part of this.'
More: Inside this Iowa distillery's path to becoming a refuge for veterans nationwide
The Center for Worker Justice was not without some controversy. In 2022, The Gazette reported that the organization had missed filing deadlines with the IRS in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and was ordered to pay $20,000 in fines. The nonprofit also briefly lost its tax-exempt status.
The organization announced that it secured a new three-year contract in March that provided its employees with raises, health insurance at "no cost," a retirement plan, and paid time off. The Teamsters union went on strike in June, "demanding to fire the executive director," with a goal of "renegotiating" the new contract.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Center for Worker Justice closes after 13 years of serving immigrants
