Immigration audit is unlikely anytime soon

A comprehensive audit of the costs and benefits of illegal immigration remains a priority for a Salt Lake City lawmaker but isn't likely to be conducted anytime soon.

With the legislative session nearly over, Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, said the concept will likely be studied in the interim.

"It's seeming to become a perennial issue," he said. "I would think we'd want to spend the money, especially when we start launching permanent legislative responses. ... We're talking real people, real lives, real issues."

Earlier during the legislative session, a group of Latino advocates had delivered a letter to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. requesting an audit, using a recently conducted Texas audit on illegal immigration as a potential model. That request was forwarded to legislators, who typically request such audits.

Then McCoy received late permission to open a bill file on an audit but has not yet made a request. He's since decided he'd like to see something similar to a previous audit on the minimum wage that was conducted by the University of Utah. That study was requested by a working group the governor put together on the issue, said Mike Mower, the governor's spokesman.

McCoy said he's met with researchers at the U. to discuss such a study, which he said would likely cost the state $40,000 to $50,000.

"At this point it's just a preliminary discussion," said Ken Jameson, U. economics professor. He said the Texas audit had the advantage of access to internal state data. However, he said, the audit also tended to rely on national estimates of the undocumented population.

"We think we could get a much better fix on the real demographics," he said. "The more information you can get on these things the better policy decisions you can make."

The state is starting to look at the cost side of the issue. A legislative audit under way, requested by Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, is examining the costs associated with educating undocumented children in public schools. And Rep. Karen Morgan, D-Salt Lake, is sponsoring a bill, HB320, that would require the state attorney general to look into the potential recovery of federal funds for state costs associated with illegal immigration.

McCoy said the comprehensive approach is needed for the state to be able to see both the costs and benefits.

"I'm still a little troubled," he said. "Nobody has begun to look at the asset side of the ledger."

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com