Thursday, March 5, 2009 Dee's strike force bill out of committee
By Jeff DeMoss

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Senate is set to give final legislative consideration to a measure creating a collaborative effort between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to battle violent and other felony crimes associated with illegal immigration.

A Senate committee voted unanimously Wednesday to approve House Bill 64, sponsored by Rep. Brad Dee, R-Washington Terrace.

The bill would allocate an additional $891,000 to the Utah Office of the Attorney General, which would set up a strike force to combat drug and human trafficking, creation of fraudulent documents and other crimes.

It would allow state and local police agencies to voluntarily partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

A sweeping immigration reform bill that passed a year ago, Senate Bill 81, included a provision allowing local law enforcement to become cross-deputized as ICE agents, but it did not specifically target felonies and violent crime.

"Targeting this with a rifle approach is the best way to address what I think is the worst problem we have with illegal immigration," Dee said.

HB 64 also creates a fraudulent-document identification team within the attorney general's office.

As the Legislature works to get local law enforcement more involved in combating violent crime associated with illegal immigration, a federal report released Wednesday found that such efforts nationwide are not necessarily meeting their intended purpose.

Dozens of state and local agencies have partnered with ICE to carry out immigration laws, the domain of the federal government. But ICE has not clearly explained that serious criminal offenders, such as drug smugglers, are the target, the Government Accountability Office said.

The GAO also found that ICE is not properly supervising its local and state partners nor collecting data needed to assess the program.

As a result, some local and state law enforcement agencies have focused on people arrested for speeding, carrying an open container and urinating in public, the GAO said. The shortcomings could lead to officers misusing their authority, the GAO said.

Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, said HB 64 is written specifically to avoid such problems.

"One of my objections to SB 81 last year is that it attacked people who are here with jobs and doing their best to do things right," Christensen said.

"This goes after those who are doing things wrong. They're taking advantage of the system instead of contributing."

http://www.standard.net/live/news/legislative/166158/