Muscatine County IA — ICE contract gag clause vs. public records transparency
litigation
— Iowa Freedom of Information Council sued Muscatine County in district court (Feb 22, 2026) on behalf of The Gazette after 10 months of denials. County initially routed records request to ICE under federal FOIA (Madan-pattern referral), then asserted attorney-client privilege and 'federal law'. Daily Iowan obtained contract March 4, 2026 after ICE retracted its non-disclosure claim. Five detainee lawsuits pending; former County Attorney James Barry resigned in 2025 amid ethics complaint and prior Iowa Supreme Court reprimand.