Minutemen protest Salt Lake as 'sanctuary' for illegal immigrants

Eric Garrett is angry.

He says it all has to do with Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker, Police Chief Chris Burbank and illegal immigrants in Utah.

In Washington Square on Monday, Garrett shook his homemade sign at cars driving on State Street and protested the three issues.

"SB81! SB81!" he yelled. "Chief Burbank, enforce SB81!"

Banded together with 16 other men and women who, like him, are members of the Utah Minuteman Project, Meyers cried out in protest against Becker and Burbank's refusals to participate in a provision in the immigration omnibus bill SB81. The provision allows police agencies to voluntarily cross-deputize police officers to serve as immigration officials.

The bill was passed in the Utah Legislature's 2008 general session and goes into effect July 1. Burbank took an unequivocal position on the controversial law, saying the voluntary portion of SB81 promotes racial profiling and "drives a wedge" between officers and the community they serve.

"The police officers of Salt Lake City are not going to be put in the position to violate the human rights of any person," Burbank told Deseret News in April.

But in refusing to enforce the provision, Garrett said, Becker and Burbank are establishing a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.

"It is a sanctuary city right now, and it's only going to get worse," he said. "They (Burbank and Becker) are going to get more than they bargained for come July 1 when all the illegals come to Salt Lake City. These illegals need to go."

The rest of the protesters shared Garrett's disdain and frustration.

As four Hispanic-looking men loaded into a truck across the street, the protesters shouted at them and waved the signs in their direction.

"Go home and give us back our jobs!" a protester yelled. "You don't belong here!"

E-MAIL: mgonda@desnews.com