False hope on road to deportation

By travis olsen
First published 4 hours ago
Updated 4 hours ago
Updated Mar 11, 2011 07:04AM

The Utah Legislature has passed House Bill 116 which, among other provisions, establishes a program for undocumented immigrants to obtain a work permit from the Utah Department of Public Safety after paying a $2,500 fine.

It is curious that so much time, effort and money have been put into this bill when these work permits will have no legal effect. They will not allow re-entry into the U.S. at the border or port of entry, prevent an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent from arresting and detaining someone or stop an immigration judge from deporting a permit holder.

So what, then, do these permits accomplish? They lull the immigrants into a false sense of security leading to their removal from the United States. If these permits are issued, then HB116 is nothing more than a veiled use of trickery to deport individuals and families.

Rep. Chris Herrod of Provo opposed this bill as “pure and simple amnesty.â€