Herbert receives deluge of hate mail over handling of 'the list'
SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert's office continues to be flooded with e-mails and letters from people angry he went after the state employees who compiled a list of allegedly illegal immigrants.
As of Wednesday afternoon, only a small portion of the more than 400 pages of correspondence released by his office offered support for his handling of the controversial list.
Most of the comments sent to Herbert opposed the investigation he ordered into the release of personal information from state databases about some 1,300 people to law enforcement and the news media and demanded he take action against illegal immigrants.
The investigation led to the names of two Department of Workforce Services employees being turned over to the attorney general's office for possible criminal prosecution. One employee already has been fired, and the other is in the process of being fired.
"RETHINK YOUR POSITION ON THIS!!!!!!!!!" a typical e-mail read. The writer, whose e-mail address and other identifying information was redacted by the governor's office, complained Herbert was "doing absolutely nothing about the 'illegals invading our state.' "
Another e-mail said not acting to immediately deport the people on the list "was a slap in the face to upstanding citizens and sent the wrong message to illegal aliens in the state" and suggested reinstating the employees "with a thank you for performing their civic duty."
Other correspondence used stronger language. "You are supposed to represent the people who voted for you, get (a) spine!! If you think the Mexican vote will get you reelected you have your head in the wrong place," one e-mail said.
Another called Herbert a coward and said he should try to be a man. "Big man fired two women trying to do what you aren't man enough to. What part of illegal is so hard for you to understand." Other writers used words like "gutless" and even a few obscenities to describe the governor.
Over and over again, the people who contacted Herbert's office said he should be going after the people whose names appeared on the list, along with Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, names of children and other personal information.
But the governor has said federal law prohibits the state from turning over the information collected to distribute food stamps and other government benefits to immigration authorities.
A statement issued by the governor's office Wednesday said he "respects the right of Utahns to express their thoughts" and he "is open to everyone's view on the issue of illegal immigration reform, which must be approached with an understanding of the complexity of the issue."
Herbert's spokeswoman, Angie Welling, declined to say whether his security has been increased as a result of the deluge of hate mail. "We do not discuss details of the governor's security," Welling said.
Among the piles of e-mails, handwritten letters, logged phone calls and other correspondence were a few positive comments, some written in response to a newspaper article highlighting the criticisms the governor has been receiving.
"I believe you handled the 'list' correctly," an e-mail dated Wednesday said. "Didn't realize you had come under fire for your actions but I suppose it's the ones most passionate about an issue that you'll hear from. Carry on, the silent majority support you on this."
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