Reader comments
Panel planning a study of new immigration law

Count us as one Utah family that applauds the signing of SB81 by Governor Huntsman. As we've noted the rising population of illegal immigrants throughout Utah, it appears we're dangerously close to becoming a sanctuary state. Rather than hurt businesses, the law will help companies compete on an equal footing. As to who is meeting the health care needs of these people, there's little mystery. It's us, the taxpaying Utah citizen. It's sad but true that every dollar that goes towards medical care of an illegal is money taken away from one of our own citizens. Their "cheap labor" is costing us plenty, and their gangs and violence are infiltrating our neighborhoods. The Governor should be applauded for a brave and necessary move.

The only thing wrong with this bill is that it doesn't take effect until 2009. Obviously, our milk-toast governor is hoping the feds will save him from actually having to enforce it. Maybe Rocky Anderson should run for governor. Whether or not we liked him, at least he wasn't afraid to make the hard decisions.

Popeye,

You're totally right. The gov did the right thing signing the bill - we are grateful too.

As for Doug Wright on KSL who argues illegals should be able to cross the southern border because they are poor. Hey Doug, compared to the people in Darfur, Mexicans are rich. So, why don't we let in the millions from Darfur, and then the other 100s of millions of Africans who are poorer than our Mexican neighbors?

Doug, your logic doesn't hold.

The health care needs and financial needs of these illegal aliens is the responsibility of the embassies without aid from Utah. Any new laws dealing with illegal aliens and business owners should also include criminal actions and severe penalties, loss of license, for violating them. Choosing to use only the E-verify system should not be considered the only reliable source of verification. It should also be illegal to reidentify employees after discovery. It should also be made illegal with a severe penalty for business owners to use the blackmarket to purchase identities for illegal aliens. Once an undocumented illegal alien is identified it should be reported to the state to be held in a photo database for further identification purposes by business, law enforcement, IRS, state tax department. Call it a state Foreign National Identity program that would make them ineligible for any state funded programs, including education, welfare, and health. This kind of program would be very minimal in cost to operate compared to the multi-millions it costs the tax payers now. It should fall on the state and county prosecutors to enfoce the laws. Any employee should be required to report any known violations to the state.

"The Governor should be applauded.....", after he browbeat the Legislature with a veto threat until they moved the effective date out until July, 2009 so that AFTER the elections this year they can gut the law or kill it altogether in the next session? It should have been made effective July 1 this year, if not immediately!

Gov. Huntsman and all of his cronies on the hill are "WEAK" and care only about themselves and money. Once again old Huntsy can't make a tough decision. Come on Daddy's Boy, do your job and get the illegals out and quit wasting my taxes on all of this B.S.

I applaud the governor and legislature for examining this issue and allowing time to see what Federal immigration reform will happen after the 08 election. The answer many people give is "send them home". That's not really a solution, as many of these "illegals" have no recollection of living outside of the U.S. and have no where to go to. Their "home" countries won't welcome them back with open arms. These people grew up here and many don't find out they are not citizens until they apply for college or try to get a job. There are many aspects to this issue that make it difficult. The main issue - dealing with real people, who are trying to have a better life.

This started out as a good "watchdog", now it's a "dog" with no teeth, after the study it will be like "roudy" from the TV show Scrubs.

AIMHO

Gov Huntsman hasnt done anything? Look in the news, it seems almost every other day you read about an illegal committing a crime. Do residents committ crimes? Of course, but why add to the problem? Huntsman looks the othr way.

Gee, what a terrible word: "sanctuary." Your logic, Popeye is as bad as the logic of the other commenters here. The economy needs inputs: labor, natural resources, energy. And all you folks are saying: let's cut out one of those inputs. With unemployment rates at historic lows, who's going to fill those jobs? Nobody. And the recession will turn into a depression. Congratulations, Utah. You're shooting yourself.

And all the whiners about costs don't seem to whine about the benefits: all the money pumped into the economy by all those workers, and all the taxes they pay--whether it's payroll taxes or sales taxes or property taxes. Take all that out of the economy and enjoy seeing the state's economy go into the tank. Glad I don't live there anymore.

It's amazing that it will take a year of "study" for Govenor and these clowns in the legislature to understand what everyone already knows about the illegals.

They have invaded this country and need to be dealt with!!! End of study...

Let's just keep studying the issue; that way we won't have to actually "do" anything about it.

What is the proof that illegal aliens are the ones causing all the crimes? I think some of you see a hispanic sounding name and figure it must be an illegal alien. The truth is that the federal government has failed in their duty. There are plenty of law abiding people in the hispanic community who are being victimized by the criminal element more than anybody else. If there were a path to allow them to come out of the shadows and stay here legally, there would be a big decrease in crime; these people would not be afraid to call the police.
The truth is that these "illegal" aliens are contributing more to society than the white trash who are saying we need to round them up and truck them back across the border. They contribute to social security with no hope of getting benefits, their kids do better in school, and they aren't looking for a handout to support their drug habit. Popeye: as a society, we are getting more from them than they get from us.
As for Darfur (Re: Popeye) it is a situation of proximity. Check your geography and it should be clear.

Send'em home, send'em all home!

So we are supposed to think Huntsman supports SB81. He had to sign it or look much worse than he does even now on illegal immigration. Huntsman is a corporate globalist and not really concerned with the sovereignty of the United States.

"The NCSL brief says there's a question as to whether federal law gives states authority in the workplace, which is a question courts are going to have to sort out." So state authority in the workplace is in question? I don't think so. Have you heard of child labor laws? These are state laws. By the way the child labor opponents of the last century had to fight the cheap labor employers that now support illegal immigration as replacement labor.

If the states remove all the prize money for illegals, no fence would be needed anywhere in the states. HMMMMM.

I am a construction worker. My wages have been cut in half because I have to compete with cheap illegal alien labor. If we do not imprisiom employers who use illegals we will not resolve the problem. We must also close the borders and make it a life or death experience to come here illegally.

It appears that our Legislators and Governor are all "waffleing". on this issue. It will be interesting to see what is left of this bill next year. It "wont look like a duck or walk like a duck". Why can't somebody step up to the plate with "balls" and do something serious?

Anyone who is in this country illegally is breaking the law and should be sent back to their native country. Period.

The truth is that big bussness wants to keep the "illegal aliens" illegal so that they can abuse them with low wages. If we would open our eyes and make it possible for the work force we need to come here legally then they would have to pay them a normal wage and this would not lower Steven J. wages like it does and we could choose to let only law abiding people in. The facts are that we need more immigrants that our present laws allow. we need to be willing to work together to find a salution that can really work.