Local leaders rally for federal immigration reform

Utah legislators, religious leaders and community activists gathered at the state Capitol on Tuesday in a show of solidarity with a national rally in Washington, D.C., that drew thousands in a call for comprehensive federal immigration reform.

Congressman Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., told those gathered in Washington that he plans to introduce legislation in the coming weeks that will allow immigrants in the country illegally to earn U.S. citizenship after meeting certain conditions, such as learning English and clearing background checks.

"It is time we had a workable plan making its way through Congress that recognizes the vast contributions of immigrants to this country and that honors the American Dream," Gutierrez said.

In Salt Lake City, Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, D-Salt Lake, said she supports Gutierrez's efforts, having personally witnessed the negative impacts on families and communities of a "broken" immigration system in dire need of change.

"I am heartened by the hope presented today by this ardent effort to move the conversation forward," Chavez-Houck said. "I hope that our federal government will assert the power given to it by the Supreme Court in 1875 and pass legislation that is commensurate with today's global realities."

Attempts by state legislators to address immigration realities in Utah have met with mixed responses, including the threat of legal challenges. A wide-ranging omnibus bill passed in 2008 and implemented in July has piled new burdens on state and local agencies, as well as private business, including mandates to screen employees and those who receive public benefits for legal presence in the country.

Rev. Tom Goldsmith of Salt Lake's First Unitarian Church said a better solution includes creating a path to citizenship, through a rigorous registration process, for the 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

"Undocumented workers need to submit to background checks, pay appropriate fines, pay their taxes and even study English," Goldsmith said. "So all the excuses given by Americans to ignore the plight and poverty of people and prevent them from nurturing hope of decent living conditions will be put to rest."

Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake, said she recognizes that Congress is faced with pressing national issues, including the economy and health-care reform. But now is still an opportune time to address immigration issues, she said.

"State and municipal efforts to deal with immigration are just Band-Aids. They're not working," Robles said. "The state of Utah realizes this, and we shouldn't be paying for new immigration statutes at a time when we're cutting Medicare and education. Immigration is really the responsibility of the federal government."

Contributing: Hearst Newspapers

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