One man provided his construction foreman with a fake Social Security card. He makes $6 an hour putting up sheetrock.

Two other young men work for minimum wage plus tips busing tables at a well-known Main Street restaurant in Park City. A woman is paid under the table cleaning offices. She makes $5 an hour, $50 for a 10-hour day. The 22-year-old woman has two children and sends about half of her $250 weekly wage to her aging mother and two younger sisters in Guadalajara.

Deniability

On the record, leaders in some Utah industries that employ the most immigrants say they could survive without illegal labor, and they encourage their members to verify the legal status of their employees.

"I think the restaurant industry is creative enough to survive, no matter what," said Melva Sine, president and CEO of the Utah Restaurant Association with 2,200 members.

Sine doubts an end to illegal immigration would ruin Utah's restaurant industry.

"I'm not saying we don't end up with undocumented workers in our industry," she said. "There's no way for us to know. . . . You don't find out it's not a valid Social Security number until you send the taxes in. . . . By that time they're gone."

Carol Sapp, executive officer of the Southern Utah Homebuilders Association, says the extent to which the 725 member businesses rely on immigrant labor varies in the bustling Washington County construction market.

"Our position is — and has been — that we encourage our members to follow and obey the rules and laws."

Steve Lindburg, president of the Utah Hotel and Lodging Association, says members are encouraged to verify their employees' legal status. However, he says in smaller communities, he understands that some in his industry may have no choice but to rely on illegal labor. He'd like to see the federal government come up with a solution that won't put anyone out of business.

"I firmly believe all people hired need to be legally able to work," he said, noting that the Hilton hotel he manages does verify I-9 (employment eligibility) forms through an independent contractor.

People would have to be blind to ignore the prevalence of undocumented workers in tourism and other areas of Utah's economy, immigrant rights activist Tony Yapias says.

"Let's just assume for a minute the undocumented people weren't around: The question is, who wants to do the job?" Yapias said.

Workplace issues

"Mike" and "Clara" don't understand the argument that illegal immigrants do the job that no one else will.