Undocumented: Emotions run high, but Utah tacitly approves of illegals

"When people say (illegal) immigrants, they not talking about your Canadian friends or European overstays," immigration attorney Chris Keen of Provo said. "They're talking about Mexicans."

At political conventions and caucus meetings, the question arises: "What are you going to do about these illegal immigrants? That is how they perceive the undocumented population," Keen said. "I don't see any clear evidence of how they're hurting anyone."

Many, like the 300 to 500 members of anti-immigration groups in Utah, disagree.

On a table made available at a recent gathering by the anti-immigration group Utah Minuteman, a flier touted "Facts regarding immigration."

"Legal and illegal immigration is a continued threat to our culture, national sovereignty, rule of law, the economy and racial conflict." Utah Minuteman officials said they did not know who sent out the flier.

"People throw information out there," said Luz Robles, interim director of the state's Office of Ethnic Affairs. "It's not data-driven, and they are creating a panic. It's the fear factor at work."

The seven-day Morning News series tackles some of these assertions and looks at the following questions:

• What do undocumented workers do for Utah's economy?

• To what degree do the children of undocumented workers tax Utah's already overloaded education system?

• Who are the men and women who have risked their lives to pursue opportunities in Utah?

• How does this growing population impact Utah crime, health care and social services?

• Congress and the president ultimately set policy about illegal immigration. What is happening nationally in this arena?

• What strategies are federal officials taking in Utah to prosecute those who are here illegally?

An intense study of research about Utah's undocumented population reveals a startling disarray of data.

Because of constitutional concerns, lack of manpower, jurisdictional power or lack of will, there is no local clearinghouse for the issue that everyone seems to care so much about.

But a recent survey, conducted for the Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV by Dan Jones and Associates, sheds some light on Utahns' opinions about illegal immigrants.

Most residents are sympathetic to those illegal immigrants who are here, but they don't want any more coming in.

Utahns are divided about what term best describes those living in the United States without proper documentation. The words they use might be reflective of their attitudes about them.