Despite setbacks, session 'pretty good' for immigrants
By Sheena Mcfarland



Updated: 03/13/2009 07:52:30 AM MDT


Despite outcries from immigrant community activists, the comprehensive immigration reform passed last year in SB81 will be implemented in July, with a few minor tweaks from legislators this session.

The bill's opponents had hoped to delay the bill's implementation, and Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay, offered such a bill. However, it died in committee.

Several activists say the pending law has caused great fear in the immigrant community, both documented and undocumented.

Adding to the fear this year is HB64, sponsored by Majority Whip Brad Dee, R-Ogden, which will create a joint federal-state strike force to go after felony crimes, ranging from document fraud to human and drug trafficking, committed by undocumented immigrants.


"It's more of a feel-good law that duplicates services and likely will increase racial profiling," said community activist Tony Yapias.

Others, such as Barbara Szweda from the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, worry the task force will increase distrust between law enforcement and the immigrant community. Dee, though, says he intends the nearly $900,000 strike force to go after only "major" felony crimes and that he will watch it closely.Despite those bills, Yapias says 2009 was a "pretty good year," mostly because of many bills that failes. Those bills include scrapping the state's driving privilege card, requiring undocumented students receiving in-state tuition to sign an affidavit swearing they haven't and won't work while in college and one forcing business-license applicants to prove their citizenship.


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