Smith said local chamber members are more focused on the current economic environment, and that immigration — while still very much on the radar — has taken a back seat for the moment. He also noted that employers he's spoken with "do not want to be in a new role of law enforcement."

A spokesperson from the office of the Utah legislative counsel, the legal advisory body of the Legislature, said the Oklahoma appeals case could certainly impact pending legislation in Utah, but that factor would not be relevant until the court rules on the case. He said his office is also monitoring litigation in that case.

Another issue legislators will struggle with is empowering local law enforcement as immigration officers. While there is a program in place through the federal government that would allow for officers to make an arrest simply because of an immigration issue, only two counties — Weber and Washington — have sent their officers for training.

SB81 does not require agencies to train their officers, and illegal immigrants can be handled by immigration officials after they are arrested for other criminal offenses.

But Rep. Brad Dee, R-Washington Terrace, a co-chairman of the Immigration Interim Committee, said there has been interest expressed by other agencies in the training. One of the ways to encourage it would be for appropriations from the Legislature, although SB81 provided no funding for either training or law enforcement.

"We're not targeting the illegal population. ... We're trying to focus on the criminal element inside that group," Dee said. "Will it help with this area? I believe it will. Will it help with the immigration issue across the state? I don't believe it will."

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E-mail: araymond@desnews.com