Immigration legislation praised, vilified

The Salt Lake County Republican Party Organizing Convention, in the meantime, is calling for the repeal of HB116, which makes it legal for undocumented immigrants already living in Utah to work. The law sets up a process for undocumented immigrants living in Utah before May 11, 2011, to obtain a guest worker permit. Applicants would be fined $2,500 — $1,000 for overstaying a visa — for entering the country illegally.

More than 2,500 people have signed an online petition at www.repeal116.com supporting the repeal, said Brandon Beckham, a Utah state GOP delegate from Orem.

"Gov. Herbert should not have signed the bill," he said. "The (Republican) delegates now hope to emphasize the consequences of our elected officials' actions while also encouraging them to step up and do the right thing — repeal HB116."

Sixty-five percent of Utahns said they support the state's efforts to resolve immigration issues despite the likelihood that at least two of the bills may be deemed unconstitutional, according to a Deseret News-KSL poll.

Herbert issued a statement this week encouraging U.S. Congressmen not to waste time "throwing rocks at Utah" by challenging the laws' constitutionality. Instead, legislators should "get off the sidelines" and actually do something about the country's immigration system.

Contributing: Associated Press

EMAIL: estuart@desnews.com