Utah man says activism kept him out of assembly

Alex Segura believes his activism against illegal immigration is the reason he's not a member of the Utah Republican Hispanic Assembly.

Segura, a board member of Utahns for Immigration Reform and Enforcement and organizer of the Utah Minuteman Project, said he was never given a reason for the rejection last fall.

But the Republican Hispanic Assembly has supported immigrant rights, most recently during an Education Interim Committee meeting when Chairman Marco Diaz testified against repealing a law that allows some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. Segura was present at the same meeting to support repealing the law.

Segura received a rejection letter and refund of his $25 application fee last fall. Segura says he sent the check back, along with a letter requesting that the committee reconsider his application.

Diane Johnson, who is not Hispanic, joined the assembly along with Segura. She said her application was accepted, but she hasn't received any correspondence. Marco Diaz, chairman of the Republican Hispanic Assembly, said the check was again sent back, but Segura said he never recieved it.

Diaz declined Friday to give a reason why Segura's application was rejected, saying only that there were several reasons.