Few Americans take immigrants' jobs in Alabama

Potato farmer Keith Smith saw most of his immigrant workers leave after Alabama's tough immigration law took effect, so he hired Americans. It hasn't worked out: Most show up late, work slower than seasoned farm hands and are ready to call it a day after lunch or by midafternoon. Some quit after a single day.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9QGERUO0.htm

Gobierno de Obama batió récord de deportaciones

Mientras la Oficina de Aduanas y Control Fronterizo (ICE) confirmaba que deportó a más de 397 mil inmigrantes indocumentados durante el año fiscal 2011 (el tercer récord consecutivo durante la administración del presidente Barack Obama), funcionarios de la Casa Blanca se reunieron el martes con líderes hispanos para escuchar sus preocupaciones mientras grupos de activistas exigían al mandatario que cambie su política migratoria de forma inmediata.

http://noticias.univision.com/inmigracion/noticias/article/2011-10-18/piden-obama-freno-deportaciones

Poll: Constitutional challenges aside, Utahns support Legislature's attention on immigration issues

SALT LAKE CITY — A majority of Utahns say they support the Utah Legislature's efforts to resolve immigration issues despite the likelihood that at least two recent bills may be deemed unconstitutional, according to a new Deseret News-KSL poll.

Dan Jones & Associates found that 65 percent of Utahns supported the state's involvement in the immigration debate, which is also a controversial federal issue. The poll, conducted March 15-17, of 432 residents statewide, has a 4.75 percent margin of error.

READ MORE: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705369023/Poll-Constitutional-challenges-aside-Utahns-support-Legislatures-attention-on-immigration-issues.html?pg=2

Latino community divided over boycott

Some members of Utah's Latino community have decided to take action against a
perceived lack of respect from the state's citizens and lawmakers by organizing
a boycott, but others are questioning their methods.

They plan to begin a two-week boycott of Utah businesses is set to begin at
midnight Monday morning. An informational session was held Sunday afternoon to
educate Latinos about the benefits and consequences of the boycott.

READ MORE: http://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-latino-boycott-latino-community-divided-over-boycott-20110313,0,3806402.story

Immigration reform, the ‘Utah Way’

Utah, where Republicans outnumber Democrats by better than threeto one in the state Legislature, has passed the nation's mostliberal and most reality-based policy on illegal immigration. Andthe Republican governor is expected to sign it.

The legislation includes both a watered-down enforcementprovision that police say won't make much difference and aguest-worker program that would make all the difference in theworld -- if it survives constitutional challenge -- by grantinglegal status to undocumented workers and allowing them to livenormal lives. In a nutshell, it's a one-state version of theoverarching immigration reform package that Congress has repeatedlytried, and failed, to enact.

Read More: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/opinion/article_569e9ae3-3023-520f-b146-250b45ae55f7.html

Some Utah Latinos say boycott a bad idea

A proposed boycott by Latinos in Utah is running into some opposition within that community a day after it was announced in the Capitol over worries the approach was rushed and lacks focus.

The boycott is scheduled to begin Monday just after midnight, and its chief organizer, Jose “Pepe” Gutierrez, will have people distributing fliers Saturday to get the word out. He said the word is already out in the community. Gutierrez expects “many thousands” to participate in the two-week boycott.

READ MORE: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51415162-76/according-bill-boycott-community.html.csp

Immigration: The Utah solution

As Utah's Legislature finishes its work today we acknowledge the thought, the effort, the resolve and the heart that went into passage of immigration reforms that thoughtfully step up enforcement, improve public safety and provide a pragmatic guest worker program that doesn't create a path to citizenship.

READ MORE: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700116927/The-Utah-solution.html

Utah: Opponents question need, focus of planned boycott

A proposed boycott by Latinos in Utah is running into some opposition within that community a day after it was announced in the Capitol over worries the approach was rushed and lacks focus.

The boycott is scheduled to begin Monday just after midnight and its chief organizer, Jose “Pepe” Gutierrez, will have people distributing fliers Saturday to get the word out. He said the word is already out in the community and Gutierrez expects “many thousands” to participate in the two-week boycott.

READ MORE: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51415162-76/according-bill-boycott-community.html.csp?page=2

Utah Lawmakers pass immigration reform

Other states are watching as lawmakers in Utah enter the national immigration debate by approving a guest worker program and Arizona-like enforcement measures for people who are living in the country illegally.
The legislation could require police officers and deputies check the immigration status of those stopped for serious crimes.
Rep. Joel Briscoe, a Democrat who represents a chunk of the Snyderville Basin, said he voted for the controversial guest worker program before voting against it.

READ MORE: http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_17594729

Latino organization praises Utah immigration measures

In an op-ed piece on Politico, Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles executive director Alfonso Aguilar heaps praise on the Utah legislature for its recent passage of immigration legislation "that mandates tougher illegal immigration enforcement and employee verification provisions (and), most important, (gives) undocumented immigrants a permit to work and live in the state without the fear of being detained and deported."

READ MORE: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700117451/Latino-organization-praises-Utah-immigration-measures.html

Utah: Great job on immigration

The Utah Legislature has accomplished something that has eluded Washington and state governments: It has moved a few steps forward toward a practical answer to the problem of illegal immigration.
Three bills just approved by lawmakers incorporate the best ideas lawmakers have produced over the past several years, while dropping or revamping dubious concepts.
What's more, the tone of the debate has become more moderate. In the real world, that's just as important as the letter of the law.

READ MORE: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/opinion/article_d752bac6-5c3e-5202-b3fa-d681ad3e39e8.html

Utah distances itself from anti-immigrant sentiment in U.S.

Washington –  The state of Utah, where approximately 110,000 undocumented immigrants live, is not a paradise but at least it wants to show the world that "it's not Arizona," approving measures that will benefit the foreigners illegally residing there.

Only the national government can ensure that federal immigration laws are upheld, but the U.S. Congress has shown itself to lack the appetite to address once and for all the problem of illegal immigration.

READ MORE: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/03/08/utah-distances-anti-immigrant-sentiment/ 

Immigrant sponsorship bill sails through Senate

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Senate quickly approved a bill on Tuesday that will allow Utahns to sponsor immigrants.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. John Dougall, R-Highland, was passed in the Senate with less than five minutes of debate. Five Democrats and one Republican, Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, voted against the bill. Sen. Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, said this is a first step in fixing the illegal immigration problems in the country.

Read More: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/immigration/article_b5faf563-0c00-57c8-80cb-5f710f75ef57.html

Sandstrom's new illegal immigration enforcement bill looks much like the old one

SALT LAKE CITY — Meet the new bill. Same as the old bill.
Rep. Stephen Sandstrom's revised enforcement-only illegal immigration measure came out Thursday with only slight changes from the much-maligned HB70.
"There's very little difference," the Orem Republican said.
After meeting with the Utah Attorney General's Office, the Utah Department of Public Safety and Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank, he said he made technical adjustments that would help police officers carry out the law.

Read More: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705367954/Sandstroms-new-illegal-immigration-enforcement-bill-looks-much-like-the-old-one.html

Best chance for immigration reform

Within the first few weeks of the 2011 legislative session, I asked Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, if he would provide some added legislative leadership on the volatile issue of undocumented immigrants living in Utah. He said he would, and he has — and I’m grateful for it.

We now have Senate Bill 288 in addition to SB60 and HB116 as comprehensive alternatives to Rep. Steve Sandstrom’s Arizona-style, “enforcement-only” HB 70, even though the current patchwork of SB288 includes HB70.

Read More: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/51339344-82/utah-senate-state-policy.html.csp

New Sandstrom immigration enforcement bill emerges

Rep. Stephen Sandstrom unveiled the new version of his enforcement-only immigration bill Thursday, believing he had made enough changes to appease Senate leaders and to ensure its passage out of that chamber.

He was wrong.

The Orem Republican had been told to remove “objectionable language” linked to the old bill, HB70, because of its roots in Arizona’s enforcement-only immigration law. That language included the words “reasonable suspicion” when directing a local law enforcement officer to determine the legal status of a person suspected of a crime.

Read More: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51360287-76/bill-changes-enforcement-immigration.html.csp

Bipartisan effort to create Utah migrant worker program unveiled

SALT LAKE CITY — Lawmakers unveiled a bipartisan effort Wednesday to create a migrant worker program between Utah and a state in Mexico.
The proposal is the first to unite the various factions in the state's divisive debate over illegal immigration. Democrats and Republicans joined Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff to announce the proposed Utah Commission on Immigration and Migration Act.

READ MORE:  http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705367863/Bipartisan-effort-to-create-Utah-migrant-worker-program-unveiled.html

Immigration and the Utah economy

As Utah economists, we have closely observed the immigration debate on Capitol Hill.
The Utah economy is at a crossroads, transitioning from a long and deep recession to what we hope will be a period of prolonged expansion. A strong, stable and sustained economic expansion, however, won't happen by chance. It will occur because of purposeful leadership.

READ MORE: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700114987/Immigration-and-the-Utah-economy.html

The immigration enforcer

WASHINGTON — During his first 18 years in Congress, the view from Lamar Smith's office was of a parking lot. Now, in his 13th term, he looks out upon the Capitol dome. Seniority confers perquisites.
Today he chairs the House Judiciary Committee that has custody of the immigration issue. When first elected, his Texas district — then 42,000 square miles, five times larger than Massachusetts — included 400 miles of the border with Mexico.

READ MORE: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700114967/The-immigration-enforcer.html

Bill proposes resident immigrant sponsorship program in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A bill proposing to allow Utahns to sponsor foreign nationals to come to the United States legally cleared a House committee Wednesday.
Rep. John Dougall, R-American Fork, said people who want move to the United States lawfully have been overlooked in the illegal immigration debate.
"I contend we've largely locked the front door and made it difficult for folks to immigrate here, live the American dream," he said.

READ MORE: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705367826/Bill-proposes-resident-immigrant-sponsorship-program-in-Utah.html