Immigration task force held by committee

A proposal calling for the formation of a $1 million immigration "strike force" ran into a wall in a committee hearing Tuesday when the bill's sponsor attempted to change the lead authority of the crime team created by the new statute.

House Majority Whip, Rep. Brad Dee, R-Washington Terrace, is sponsoring HB64-a bill that sprung forth from an interim immigration task force that met throughout last summer in an attempt to fine-tune aspects of last year's immigration reform legislation, SB81.

Under provisions of the bill, the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency would coordinate with state and local law enforcement to "focus its efforts on detecting, investigating, deterring and eradicating violent and other major criminal activity related to illegal immigration and human trafficking."

Dee's bill originally called for the Department of Public Safety to head the anti-crime effort, but moved to change that designation to the Utah Attorney General's office. Dee told the committee that he decided the change was necessary after meeting with immigration officials and "hearing how they dovetail" with state agencies. Instead of adopting the substitute bill, the committee voted to move to the next agenda item, tabling Dee's proposal.

Dee promised to continue working on the legislation.