Thread: U.S. Attorney General: Utah change immigration law or else

U.S. Attorney General: Utah change immigration law or else

By Matt Canham

The Salt Lake Tribune

First published 1 hour ago
Updated 1 hour ago Updated May 3, 2011 11:25AM

Washington • While Utah officials have pushed for federal changes that would allow the state’s new guest worker program to go into effect, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder made it clear that he expects the state to be the one that budges first.

Holder appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and was pressed by Chairman Lamar Smith, who accused the Justice Department of political favoritism for going after Arizona’s immigration law aggressively but not Utah’s.

The attorney general noted that Utah’s guest worker law, HB116, would not kick in without a change in federal law until 2013.

“And if it is not changed to our satisfaction by 2013, we will take all the necessary steps,â€

[quote]Holder responded: “It has also been Department of Justice policy to try to work with states to see if there’s a way in which we can reach an agreement without us having to actually file suit. So we will look at the law.â€