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Utah Latino leaders urge community to raise voice
They ask immigrants to overcome fear and speak out about immigration bills.
By Sheena Mcfarland

Salt Lake Tribune
Posted:02/14/2009 04:00:00 PM MST

Enrique Castaneda fled from his home in Chiapas, Mexico, to escape the violence that filled the streets there.

He knew his family wouldn't be safe, and that his children had little chance of a successful future if he stayed.

He recently settled in Midvale, and finds himself yet again fearing for his children's fates.

"All these plans that I have for my family are going to be canceled because I can't be stable in my work," Castaneda said through an interpreter. "It's hard to be focused because I don't know if I'm going to get caught today or tomorrow or the next day. I just try not to think about these new laws because it terrifies me."

That fear is prevalent throughout much of the Latino community. Both documented and undocumented immigrants fear racial profiling will increase and so will their chances of being targets of racial discrimination. Some are frustrated at failed attempts in the past to have their voices heard, but even they are still encouraging fellow Latinos to speak out against bills they believe will harm their community.

One of those, community leaders feel, is SB81, a bill that would overhaul Utah's immigration policy and allow local police officers to serve as immigration agents. It would also require all businesses that contract with the state to run their employees through a system to verify their citizenship status. The bill passed last year, but won't take effect until July.

Two legislators, Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay, and Rep. Stephen Clark, R-Provo, are sponsoring bills to delay implementation of SB81, and Clark's would fund a study of the fiscal impact of undocumented workers in Utah.

A bill proposed this year by Rep. Brad Dee, R-Ogden, would create an illegal immigration strikeforce to bring together various law-enforcement agencies, including local police and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to go after high-level criminals. But many in the Latino community worry about what the definition of a criminal will be.

Such bills have many wondering if they'll stay in Utah after they pass.

"It's so violent where I came from," Castaneda said. "If I have to move back, I won't be able to give my family all the dreams we have together."

Tony Yapias, director of Proyecto Latino de Utah, is urging people like Castaneda to contact their legislators and ask them to vote for or against a bevy of current bills that will affect both documented and undocumented immigrants.

"We have one month to make a change," he told the 150 people gathered at a Latino community meeting Thursday night. "The most important thing to do is call legislators and tell them how we feel. They are our representatives if we have papers or not."

Some expressed their frustration at their failed efforts to stop SB81 from passing last year, and strongly urged their peers not to give up this year.

"Put pressure directly on your legislator because we as human beings have rights, we need to make them look at us and ask to be respected," said Mauricio Rosales through an interpreter. "We need to convince them we are more than workers who are paid dollars. We are people. We are important to the future of this country."

House Minority Leader David Litvack attended the meeting and applauded Rosales' comments.

"Let's put a human face to this issue," the Salt Lake City Democrat said. "It's too easy to pass legislation like SB81 when we don't understand or wish to see the human being that is behind it all."

Other bills, such as HB208 sponsored by Rep. Richard Greenwood, R-Roy, would repeal in-state tuition for children of undocumented immigrants who graduate from a Utah high school.

"People bring their little kids to the United States to study, and if this passes, they won't be able to study and will face bad consequences," said Yolanda Rocha through an interpreter. "We didn't come up here to sit around. We came to work for a better future."

The only way to stop what residents see as anti-immigration legislation from being passed in the future is for more people to become citizens, said Yolanda Saucedo, who earned her U.S. citizenship and moved from Texas four months ago.

"I became a citizen because I want to put my voice out there for others," Saucedo said. "We need to be together and raise our voices and say no to the laws that affect us. It's time for us to be united."


2009 immigration bills
Awaiting governor's signature:

SCR1 » Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City

Asks the federal government for certain waivers to create a state guest-worker program.

SB40 » Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo

Requires those applying for a driver license to prove citizenship. It still allows for undocumented immigrants to receive a driving privilege card.

Immigration bills awaiting action by the Legislature:

HJR25 » Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo

Resolution urging businesses only to hire documented workers.

SB39 » Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City

Clarifies the definition of a contractor in SB81

HB64 » Rep. Brad Dee, R-Ogden

Creates a strikeforce that brings together local law enforcement and ICE officials to target high-level undocumented criminals.

SB69 » Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Eagle Mountain

Requires proof of citizenship in order to vote.

HB107 » Rep. Stephen Clark, R-Provo

Delays the implementation of SB81 until July of 2010 and funds a $150,000 study to determine the fiscal impact of undocumented workers on Utah.

SB113 » Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay

Delays the implementation of SB81 until July of 2010.

HB208 » Rep. Richard Greenwood, R-Roy

Repeals in-state tuition for children of undocumented workers who graduate from a Utah high school.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11706545