Civil talk on immigration: Rhetoric cools, options explored at reform summit

SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert joked that a power outage that hit the state Capitol just before his immigration reform summit began on Tuesday may have been a symbol of where debate had been so far — people left in the dark — and (without air conditioning) the topic was literally a hot one.

After the summit, he said discussion — like the room with restored power — became cooler, and light showed more clearly the views of most major groups.

"I was hopeful that this first step would calm the waters and have some respectful dialogue. I think that happened," Herbert said. "It was interesting to me to see the diverse opinions there around the table. … And yet we found areas of commonality."

And they did it civilly — which almost all participants said they hoped would extend to Utah residents as the immigration debate continues. "I'm tired of the lack of civility. I'm tired of the hatred. And I'm tired of the hostility," said Pamela Atkinson, a local activist for the poor and homeless.

Herbert invited 31 community leaders to discuss for two hours what immigration reform in Utah should look like. Those invited ranged from Hispanic activists to police chiefs, legislators, businessmen, church leaders and even Herbert's Democratic opponent for governor — Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon.

They aired differing views on three main possibilities for reform: passing an Arizona-style enforcement law; passing Utah's own "worker privilege card" system to allow illegal immigrants to work here without hiding in the shadows; or pushing Congress to fix problems at the federal level.

Choosing to do nothing, Herbert said, is not an option.

"The number of immigrants who are in the United States illegally is creating societal challenges and costs that can no longer go unaddressed. Inaction by the federal government leaves individual states little choice but to enter the immigration reform dialogue. It is up to us to find innovative solutions for our unique illegal immigration problems," he said.

State Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, said he still plans to introduce an Arizona-style enforcement law, but is willing to tweak it based on concerns raised by others. He said tougher enforcement is needed until the federal government manages to secure the border.

The Arizona law requires police to question the immigration status of people they detain for other reasons if they have reason to suspect they are in the country illegally.