Utahns have an opportunity to push forward and lead the way for immigration reform.

That was the message delivered by Charles Kuck, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, to about 40 students and community members who gathered for an immigration forum Friday at the University of Utah.

The forum, sponsored by the university's office for equity and diversity, brought people together to discuss the legal challenges for undocumented immigrants and learn about advocacy opportunities, both locally and nationally.

"This may surprise you, but your two senators are not considered hyper-conservative in the Senate," Kuck said. "Sen. (Orrin) Hatch and Sen. (Bob) Bennett are both malleable, and they could both support immigration reform, but the problem is nobody calls them and tells them to."

That's why legislators need to hear from voters who support immigration reform, Kuck said. They're certainly hearing from those who are against it, he said.

Kuck said he believes the reason immigration reform did not pass in 2007 is because for every call legislators received in favor of reform, there were 400 against it.

"That's one thing that you need to do in Utah. You need to call for a coalition meeting and establish a coalition across all racial boundaries," he said. "Every community here has their own support group."

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Kuck also called on the audience to ask for help from friends and family in calling and e-mailing legislators. He said they could even hold a fundraiser for a legislator, focusing the event on positive immigration reform.

"Money is the oil of the political machinery," Kuck said.

There is going to be a national discussion on immigration this fall on Capitol Hill, so there's time to get coalitions together and contact senators, he said. Kuck told those in attendance to get prepared and to make certain they know the facts on immigration.

"It was interesting to find out what kinds of laws are being proposed against immigration," said student Isaac Lemus. "I need to learn the facts and pass the word along to other students."

The issue of undocumented immigration in the United States is not new and assimilation will happen eventually, Kuck said. There are, however, people who need persuading — people who are scared of the Latino family that moved in down the street, or those who are not used to living next door to an Asian, he said.

"They're the one's we need to show that (immigrants) are inherently good people," Kuck said. "They are just as good as their English and Swedish forebearers who walked across the Plains to get here to Utah. These are literally the modern-day pioneers."

That's the message that needs to be sent on blogs and commentaries and in the phone calls to lawmakers, Kuck said. The hate needs to be countered with facts — or good rhetoric, he said.

"We are right on this issue," Kuck said, "and I truly believe that right will always prevail."

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