Poll: Utahns divided on migrants

When it comes to the issue of illegal immigration, a new poll suggests Utahns are pretty much split on whether to take action now or to hold off and study the issue.

Measures that would do both are up for final approval in the Senate as early as Monday, and both received strong support in initial Senate votes.

Some 47 percent of the 412 people polled in the Deseret Morning News/KSL TV poll preferred lawmakers take comprehensive action against undocumented immigrants by denying them jobs or public benefits. SB81 would do that.

And 46 percent said lawmakers should instead take time to study the issue, and SB97 would create a legislative task force to do just that.

The difference falls within the 5 percent margin error of the poll, which was conducted Feb. 19-21 by Dan Jones & Associates.

The results differ sharply from a poll conducted last month, which showed 74 percent favored penalizing employers who hire undocumented immigrants, and 85 percent saying citizenship checks should be required to receive public benefits. That poll, also conducted by Dan Jones, had a 5 percent error margin.

A final vote on SB81 was delayed Friday, after its sponsor, Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, said he wanted to give fellow lawmakers a chance to review a new version of the bill released Friday, which incorporates a slate of amendments made to the bill on the Senate floor.

Most recently, SB81 was amended to protect landlords from potentially finding themselves guilty of a misdemeanor under a provision in the bill against harboring undocumented immigrants for profit.

Hickman said based on feedback from his own constituents, there is a public appetite for action. However, he's also supporting the task force.

"Folks want us to move on legislation," he said. "That doesn't mean we can't study it."

Meanwhile, in a 25-1 vote Friday, the Senate gave preliminary approval to SB97.

"In light of all the immigration bills up here this year and all the concerns," said Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, the measure's sponsor, "it became very apparent to me early on we weren't totally aware of where we were going."

Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association, is part of the Immigration Policy Coalition that is supporting SB97, and opposing SB81.

Sine expressed disappointment that the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, a member of the coalition, had endorsed SB81.

"There are just so many questions about the bill," Sine said. "With SB97, we could really get in and investigate ... and create some legislation that would work for the State of Utah."