The platform change states that no government benefits should be given to illegal immigrants, and there should be no guest-worker program as a pathway to citizenship, nor automatic pathway to citizenship. Finally, current laws against businesses that hire illegal immigrants should be "vigorously enforced."

The immigration resolution, by Joe H. Ferguson, says many of the "illegals" in the United States come from nations that wish harm to America, have committed serious crimes in the United States, including drug dealing, and could well be terrorists.

The resolution goes on to say that protecting U.S. borders from "invasion" is part of the Constitution, "securing the home base" is the primary responsibility of the U.S. government, borders should be secured immediately, and illegals should be found, arrested and deported.

Meanwhile, a change in the party's bylaws and constitution would make it easier for party leaders to isolate a small group of party dissidents to keep them from being elected or appointed to grass-roots party posts.

Dana Dixon, head of the state party's constitution and bylaw committee, said the new rule was not written with dissidents in mind, but the rule could still apply to any small-turn-out precinct.

The rule change would allow county party officials to pick precincts that usually have small mass-meeting attendance — fewer than 50 people — and to have a different party-officer election process.

The small-turn-out precincts "would be represented by delegates elected at a combined precinct meeting at the legislative district or county level," the rule change says.

In essence, that would mean that some unhappy Republicans would have to stand for election as a state or county delegate within a much larger group of Republicans, and so likely would not be picked as a party delegate or grass-roots officer.

Dixon said the case of well-known dissidents, such as Mike Ridgway, was never discussed by his committee. Rather, there are huge geographic precincts on Salt Lake County's west side which have about five registered voters and no Republicans, yet by rule, the party is supposed to hold a mass meeting and pick a delegate from that area. Dixon said the change would allow for large groupings of such precincts so that enough registered Republicans could be found from which to pick a convention delegate.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com