Thread: Utah Lawmakers To Discuss Illegal Immigration

Mar 28, 2007 6:20 pm US/Mountain

Utah Lawmakers To Discuss Illegal Immigration

SALT LAKE CITY State lawmakers will meet during a daylong summit this summer to try to find ways to stop illegal immigration.

It will be similar to a special session but no official votes will be taken. Lawmakers will be paid to attend the summit at a total cost of about $20,000.

“Illegal immigration is an ongoing problem and challenge,” Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, told members of the Legislative Management Committee on Tuesday.

Utah’s two U.S. senators and three U.S. House members will be invited to determine areas where the state can act on the problem, he said.

Lawmakers traditionally have attempted to deal with the effects of illegal immigration, not the sources, Stephenson said.

“It is like we are trying to stop the water flow at the bottom of the waterfall,” he said.

The Utah legislative auditor general is determining how much it costs Utah schools to educate children of illegal immigrants. By law, every child in Utah is guaranteed a free public education.

House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said the summit could provide some answers to ongoing immigration concerns.

But Congress ultimately must solve the problem, Stephenson said.

“But now it is the biggest unfunded mandate in the history of our nation,” he said.

Utah is experiencing its lowest unemployment rate since the end of World War II, creating an attractive environment for illegal immigrants seeking work. Yet some businesses are afraid to hire some workers for fear they are here illegally.

“How can we get a legal guest worker program in Utah?” Stephenson said. “We aren’t having discussions on solutions. We’ve just been complaining.”

(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )


http://kutv.com/local/local_story_087202155.html

Utah is experiencing its lowest unemployment rate since the end of World War II, creating an attractive environment for illegal immigrants seeking work. Yet some businesses are afraid to hire some workers for fear they are here illegally.

Gee that's funny..I don't see any fear exhibited by these companies, and they continue to hire illegals on a regular basis.
If you ever come out here to Salt Lake City, you will hardly find an American citizen working in the fast food, hotel, janitorial, landscaping, or housing construction areas, and you certainly won't hear English being spoken.
We have more mexican food restaurants than we have mccdonalds! (no joke).

These companies should be worried!
So if there's any company owners (especially contractors) from UT who are reading this, and if you are employing illegals, be forwarned because there are many of us in UT who are fed up with your law breaking!
Your companies have and will be reported for suspected illegal hiring.