Latinos Said to Bear Weight of a Deportation Program

A deportation program that is central to the Obama administration’s immigration enforcement strategy has led disproportionately to the removal of Latino immigrants and to arrests by immigration authorities of hundreds of United States citizens, according to a report by two law schools using new, in-depth official data on deportation cases.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/us/latinos-said-to-bear-weight-of-deportation-program.html?_r=1&hpw

For mother’s sacrifice, U. student from Peru keeps plugging along

Enrique didn’t know why he was living in Salt Lake City.

He was 11, fuming at his mother for pulling him away from the life and friends he knew in Peru and wondering what this strange place was — one full of white faces who spoke a funny language.

It wasn’t easier in school. He picked up English quickly, but learning the culture and customs took longer. So, he buried himself in schoolwork.

READ MORE: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51177626-76/college-didn-enrique-felt.html.csp 

Life in the shadows: Undocumented residents speak out

Enrique is frustrated and scared. · The Peruvian had pinned his hopes on the DREAM Act, but when the federal legislation failed to pass, he wondered what would happen after he earned his degree in urban planning from the University of Utah. · He said he has kept faith that the decision his mother made when he was 11 to come to the United States illegally wouldn’t haunt him as an adult. He has already made sacrifices — including not having seen his father in 10 years.

READ MORE: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51081716-76/110000-community-documents-enrique.html.csp 

Lawmakers’ talk of reform rattles undocumented SLC worker

Jorge’s first trip to America was in 1998. Legally.

He came on a work visa to sell ski boot soles in New York City. The business eventually failed, however, when investors pulled the money and he was forced to return to Mexico with no job, no income and a wife and two children.

During his time in the United States, however, he saw opportunity that didn’t exist in Mexico. He was a college graduate with a degree, but obtaining legal citizenship would take about 20 years and jobs in Mexico were hard to come by.

READ MORE: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/51177640-90/able-america-assistant-clean.html.csp 

Utah Progressives decry state’s attempts to enact immigration reform

The Coalition of Utah Progressives decried immigration bills under consideration by the Utah Legislature at a Sunday press conference, calling four of the bills irresponsible and a grandstand for political posturing.

In front of the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City, three members of the local advocacy group read a prepared statement and held brightly colored signs, castigating legislators for what they said are money-wasting and unconstitutional efforts to address immigration reform at the local and state level. In addition, the group called on congressional representatives to work with President Barack Obama in reforming federal immigration policy.

READ MORE: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51200246-76/immigration-reform-utah-bills.html.csp 

Panel calls on Congress to fix immigration laws

SJR12 • Sen. Stuart Reid’s joint resolution urging Congress to address and resolve the illegal immigration issue passed unanimously out of committee on a day when Sen. Orrin Hatch was asked to do the same thing by the state Legislature during his visit to the Capitol.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51193153-76/congress-hatch-illegal-immigration.html.csp 

Illegal immigration reform not likely until borders are secure, Hatch says

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah legislators Friday wanted to know what Congress and Sen. Orrin Hatch in particular intend to do about illegal immigration.

"There's a lot of frustration," House Minority Leader David Litvack, D-Salt Lake, told the state's senior senator.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705365959/Illegal-immigration-reform-not-likely-until-borders-are-secure-Hatch-says.html

Illegal immigration a priority for Utah legislators

SALT LAKE CITY — A resolution calling on Congress and specifically Utah's congressional delegation to tackle illegal immigration passed a Senate committee Friday.

It was among three new pieces of legislation on the issue introduced into the Legislature Friday, including one calling for the federal government to repay Utah doctors for treating undocumented immigrants.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705365928/Illegal-immigration-a-priority-for-Utah-legislators.html

Sandstrom, Herrod not interested in comprehensive immigration bill

SALT LAKE CITY — Two lawmakers pushing enforcement-only illegal immigration proposals are digging in their heels against efforts to combine their bills with others because they believe the result would be amnesty.
Reps. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, and Chris Herrod, R-Provo, say in a news release a comprehensive bill isn't possible "given the focus of the guest worker bills on amnesty for illegal aliens."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705365884/Sandstrom-Herrod-not-interested-in-comprehensive-immigration-bill.html

Matheson questions state-by-state immigration law

Sen. Luz Robles had a private meeting with U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson Thursday at the Capitol to discuss the viability of her immigration reform bill that is heavily dependent on obtaining a federal waiver to function in Utah.

Matheson said he was getting up to speed on the bill, but he recognized the challenges her bill would face.

“I get the frustration,” Matheson said. “I question whether you want to have a checkerboard system of 50 states have different immigration rules across this country. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51187012-76/already-bill-immigration-lived.html.csp

New guest worker bill enters the immigration debate

Rep. Bill Wright unveiled his guest worker immigration bill Thursday and suggested his proposal might be the framework for a comprehensive piece of legislation that has so far been elusive in the legislative process.

Wright, R-Holden, said employers should have the right to access and hire the most productive employees.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51187201-76/bill-bramble-guest-process.html.csp 

First-year legislator co-sponsoring immigration bill

SALT LAKE CITY -- A local freshman representative is keeping his promise to his constituents by co-sponsoring a Senate bill dealing with immigration.

"During my campaign, I heard from my voters they want something done, and that is the message they delivered to me loud and clear," Rep. Jeremy Peterson, R-Ogden, said during a news conference Wednesday at the Capitol.

http://www.standard.net/topics/utah-legislature/2011/02/02/first-year-legislator-co-sponsoring-immigration-bill

Utah Legislature: Investment Scams and Immigration

A lot of bills addressing illegal immigration were expected as the session began, but so far only five have been introduced. Democratic State Senator Luz Robles brought hers to a news conference yesterday along with its co-sponsor in the House, a newly-elected Republican from Ogden, Jeremy Peterson.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuer/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1757890/KUER.Local.News/Utah.Legislature.Investment.Scams.and.Immigration

Key lawmakers, advisers huddle on immigration reform

Key lawmakers and activists from all corners of immigration reform held a closed-door meeting in Sen. Curtis Bramble’s office Wednesday night in an attempt to cobble together a comprehensive approach to the issue.

Bramble, who has opened a bill file called “Immigration Reform,” told the roughly 20 people, including House Speaker Becky Lockhart, that it was a chance to pass some meaningful legislation that would avoid pitfalls encountered by Arizona when it passed a constitutionally challenged enforcement-only law.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51178002-76/bill-bramble-enforcement-federal.html.csp 

Complex illegal immigration issue has many faces

Several Utah legislators have bills ready for the legislative session. I attended the November meeting at Dixie State College's Gardner Center that was billed as "A Legislative Forum on Illegal Immigration." I was interested in learning more about the Utah Compact and Utah Sen. Dennis Stowell's Arizona-style bill. Although I was offended by the anti-Pelosi jokes in what should have been a bipartisan gathering to discuss issues and not cast stones at either side, I stuck it out. A "forum," after all, is a venue for public discussion, and all people should feel welcome

http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20110202/OPINION/102020302

Utah among states where undocumented population declines

For the first time in three years, the number of undocumented immigrants in Utah declined slightly from its peak in 2007, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center.

Utah was one of a handful of states that showed a dip, both individually as well as when its sample size was lumped in with Nevada and Arizona. Both of those states also reflected declines in their illegal immigration numbers.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51170475-76/2007-arizona-enforcement-hispanic.html.csp 

Bipartisan pair sponsors alternative immigration bill

Sen. Luz Robles picked up a Republican to sponsor her immigration bill in the House on Tuesday, giving her proposal the sought-after endorsement of an elected conservative who called the legislation “a fair approach to the issue.”

Rep. Jeremy Peterson, R-Ogden, has been in talks with Robles and other supporters of her bill prior to the beginning of the legislative session and said it was the only immigration bill that seemed to tackle “the broad spectrum” of the issue.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51170165-76/bill-card-doesn-enforcement.html.csp 

Immigration bills pile up, focus on birthright citizenship

The state-led battle against illegal immigration continues to gain momentum, with more than 600 bills filed in January.
In all of 2010, state legislators filed 1,400 immigration-related bills and resolutions, according to a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures

. Just under 350 were enacted — a record that states seem on course to break

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700105830/Immigration-bills-pile-up-focus-on-birthright-citizenship.html

Possible change to birthright citizenship debated

SALT LAKE CITY — Days after a resolution was introduced to the U.S. Senate that would deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, the University of Utah Law school hosted a debate to explore whether the 14th Amendment should be changed.

Both Peter Schuck, a law professor at Yale University, and Margaret Stock, an Alaskan attorney and adjunct professor at the University Alaska Anchorage, said immigration reform is needed, but Stock argued strongly against changes to the 14th Amendment.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705365590/Possible-change-to-birthright-citizenship-debated.html

McEntee: Utah’s Office of Ethnic Affairs is an avenue to inclusion

Confusion and tension filled the legislative committee room Monday as lawmakers restored funding to some programs that just last week seemed to be taking hefty budget cuts.

But the state Office of Ethnic Affairs wasn’t on the restoration list — yet.

That left OEA supporters wondering if it can even survive.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51162255-76/oea-mcentee-ethnic-office.html.csp