Illegal-immigrant stand may be put on GOP platform

Utah's GOP delegates will be asked to write a get-tough stand on illegal immigration into the Utah Republican Party platform at this weekend's state convention.

Robert Wren of Heber has proposed an amendment calling for tougher border security and opposing any form of amnesty for illegal immigrants.

"We do not have anything in the party platform on illegal immigration," Wren said. "We need to take a stand."

Meanwhile, the Utah Republican Hispanic Assembly is working on countering the proposal with a platform amendment calling for comprehensive immigration reform.

The Hispanic Assembly's amendment would "support laws that balance our national security and economic needs of the nation," said Michael Clara, member of the Hispanic Assembly's executive committee.

Wren's proposed amendment calls for "vigorous" enforcement of laws against employing illegal immigrants, and seeks an end to the constitutional automatic citizenship for children of illegal immigrants born in the United States.

"We believe that security of our borders is an urgent national interest and our national sovereignty depends on those secure borders," it reads in part. "We oppose illegal immigration and all forms of amnesty."

Clara, member of the Hispanic Assembly's executive committee, said he doubted that Utah's delegates would agree on "the extreme views" expressed in Wren's amendment.

"As an Hispanic Assembly our mission is to encourage other Hispanics to join the Republican Party," Clara said. "We do feel (the GOP) is a place of inclusion and we want to keep it that way."

According to party rules, it's too late for the Hispanic Assembly to submit an amendment before the convention, but its members hope to persuade delegates at Saturday's convention to add it to the agenda.

Jeff Hartley, executive director of the state GOP, said such moves don't usually work, "but it's a convention; you can't rule anything out."

Passing an amendment to the platform would require a two-thirds majority.

Hartley said while the Republican Party wants candidates to adhere as closely as possible to the platform, candidates tend to disagree on some contentious issues, and an immigration amendment wouldn't change that.

"Immigration is such a tough issue, there are so many difficult facets," he said. "It's not as cut and dried as either side wants it to be."

Illegal immigration is an increasingly contentious issue for Republicans, which last year drew two opposing resolutions, which both won the approval of state delegates.

One of last year's resolutions, sponsored by Wren, was similar to his proposed amendment. The other said all immigrants are welcome in the GOP.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress is also split on how to approach immigration. The House last year passed an enforcement measure, which has recently raised the opposition of thousands of mostly Latino protesters. The Senate is expected to resume debate next week on sweeping immigration reform that could legalize millions of undocumented immigrants.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com