Thread: Utah A.G. to launch immigration crimes task force

Utah A.G. to launch immigration crimes task force
By Ben Winslow



Published: Friday, April 10, 2009 11:05 a.m. MDT
2 comments



CEDAR CITY — Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said he plans to create a task force that will focus on major felony crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

Speaking here at Southern Utah University of Wednesday, Shurtleff said the task force will focus on crimes like drug dealing and human trafficking — not illegal immigration itself. He hopes to hold a town hall meeting before the task force is implemented in order to gain support from Utah's immigrant community.

"We need the cooperation of the immigrant community," Shurtleff told the Deseret News. "And we're not going to get that if they see every single officer wearing an ICE badge along with their Salt Lake PD badge. They won't talk. They won't cooperate. They'll close their doors to us. We need their help."

Shurtleff has weighed in on the controversy surrounding SB81, the immigration law set to take effect on July 1 of this year. It is a broad bill that includes everything from the screening of potential state employees or anyone receiving public benefits due those in the country legally to criminal punishments for anyone transporting or harboring illegal immigrants.

A voluntary aspect is the cross-deputization of officers is also part of the bill, Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank has said his department will not participate in that voluntary portion, garnering the wrath of the House sponsor, Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab.

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To date, only two law enforcement agencies have cross-deputized some of their officers: Weber County and Washington County.

Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith sent a pair of deputies who work in the Purgatory Jail to undergo Immigrations and Customs Enforcement training. As an accused criminal is booked into jail, they undergo an immigration check.

The sheriff said he agreed to the cross-training as soon as it became apparent the feds were not going to be responding with a sufficient amount of force.

"We are going to do something, but I also don't have the manpower," he said. "We'll deal with them at the jail."

Smith said he supports the idea of a task force that focuses on major crimes involving illegal immigrants and would love to have his deputies participate, if invited.

The task force of five law enforcement officers and a prosecutor will be funded by federal stimulus money. The Utah State Legislature approved the formation of the task force with HB64.

E-MAIL: bwinslow@desnews.com



http://www.deseretnews.com/article/0,51 ... 09,00.html

gain support from Utah's immigrant community.

Make me laugh, he's not going to get their support. They like living with criminals because they are their relatives and homies. They are not going to snitch on their peeps.

Dixie

What about the undocumented criminal immigrants driving down the street?

Road blocks and run tags for valid/active insurance on cars would be a great start in all states.

Originally Posted by Dixie

gain support from Utah's immigrant community.

Make me laugh, he's not going to get their support. They like living with criminals because they are their relatives and homies. They are not going to snitch on their peeps.

Dixie

I give you props for your street talk Dixie. Got some street cred?

And you are right. We see it here in Dallas. There was a video a while back where a guy was beaten (to death I think) and there was a HUGE crowd around the fight. Although there were dozens of witnesses, no one came forward to identify the suspect, because as you say, "they are their relatives and homies."

What can you expect from a pig but a grunt? The only way illegals will rat out their homies is if you give them money or drugs.