Deseret News | Immigration law snubbed by S.L. police

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Immigration law snubbed by S.L. police

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Jan | 7:41 p.m. April 8, 2009

I can't believe our lawmakers are wasting their time, and our money, passing bonehead laws like this. Wait a minute! Yes I can . . .

Can't have it both ways | 8:22 p.m. April 8, 2009

If the illegals are in basic areas, can we afford to just ignore? Seems like this is how we got into this mess....selective obiedience to the laws???

Nancy | 9:14 p.m. April 8, 2009

If Salt Lake City remains a sanctuary city then it will turn into a Los Angeles. What Salt Lake City needs is a police chief in the model of Joe Arpaio, the Sheriff of Maricopa County in AZ. How can a law enforcement officer be taken seriously when he turns a blind eye to lawbreakers? How disgusting that a great city such as Salt Lake has a police chief who won't enforce law. We need a new police chief NOW!

Comments continue below

Fred | 9:43 p.m. April 8, 2009

I sure don't see how enforcing our immigration laws violate human rights. That weak argument could be argued against almost ANY law. Further, a person is either law abiding or not. If someone is will to justify breaking one law, they can just as easily justify breaking others. We might as well make SLC a sanctuary city just like San Francisco. Or even better, lets eliminate ALL laws and try anarchy for a while

james | 10:38 p.m. April 8, 2009

its a shame that a police dept, who's job it is to enforce ALL LAWS is not deciding what laws to chose to enforce and which ones to look the other way.
So much for safety in SLC. we already know there are gang members in almost every major US City and we also know the Mexican drug cartel has operations in 230 American cities, and I'm just guessing that those associated with both groups have a good chance of being illegally in the US.
ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL, Enforce the law or resign and let someone in office who will enforce ALL the laws

Border Bandit | 11:06 p.m. April 8, 2009

People on both sides of this issue need to understand that catching illegal aliens is the easy part of this equation. What do you do with the detained illegal aliens? You wait for an understaffed, and underfunded Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to send sufficent manpower and buses to transport the detainees back to where ever they came from. Many of you are assuming that nearly all of the undocumented aliens are from Mexico where it is easy for us to push them back through the fence. What do you expect an underfunded agency to do with detainees from other countries> Those aliens detainees have to by flown at taxpayer expense back to where ever they come from assuming that country will accept the.

I can't blame state and local law enforcement for not wanting to be bogged down detaining more aliens that ICE can possibly remove from their custody due to lack of manpower and detention and removal funding.

By not providing the funding to remove aliens from state and local custody in a timely manner the US Congress has hamstrung this "cooperation" that they brag about. That is not new either.

Alwin | 11:18 p.m. April 8, 2009

Salt Lake City needs a recall referendum. This Police Chief needs to be booted out. What a weak disgrace.

James | 11:24 p.m. April 8, 2009

Not long ago I had to go to traffic court because I was picked up for speeding. (My bad.) During the course of the session and dealing with the individuals there, the Judge discoved two illegal aliens. He asked them to pay their fines. When they admitted that they were illegals, all he said was, "Go take care of it." Needless to say, my faith is really challenged in our government. I think some law enforcement officers and judges have forgotten why they are there. They seem to have their own agendas at the tax payers expense. I feel a backlash a comin.

shecky | 11:27 p.m. April 8, 2009

1) Illegals would not come to Utah if employers didn't hire them. Where is the discussion about dealing with employers?
2) Often employers prefer them over citizen residents because most undocumented immigrants understand how to work;
3) Not all individuals who are brown and speak spanish are non-citizens.

Local law enforcement is correct in that singling out a certain portion of the population is neither fair, nor will it prevent a number of unintended consequences.

Let immigration handle immigration issues. It makes a lot more sense. Knee-jerk responses designed to solve the problem in one fell swoop seem to me to have been ill considered.

Scotty | 12:12 a.m. April 9, 2009

We didn't fight two world wars to defend our constitution to allow illegals to thumb their noses at our laws. The solutions to the transportation is our railroads. We have plenty of freight cars standing idly by. And we can charge each county for each illegal that we have to ship back to their country. What a way to get out of debt! OBAMA SHOULD JUMP ON THIS ONE! Just think they wouldn't have to walk back across the boarder.

Anonymous | 12:32 a.m. April 9, 2009

Its good to see there is some justice in the Law Enforcement arena.
Good to see they can justify this law as "Biased" and "racial".
We need to take a stand against unjustly laws and those who promote them!

Shame on Shurtleff | 12:35 a.m. April 9, 2009

Shurtleff is the biggest coward in the world. He has been an awful attorney general. All he has done is stoke his own ego the entire time he has been in office and has never taken on the tough cases and actually prosecute illegal immigrants. If he decides to run for Senator, heaven forbid, I cannot vote for him.

Spoc | 12:51 a.m. April 9, 2009

So let's see if I understand Mr. Burbank's logic.

Let's say I make a living burglarizing construction sites. By Salt Lake City standards, they will refuse to investigate if they catch me sneaking around a construction site at night with a truckload of stolen appliances because they are afraid it will "have a chilling effect" and I won't report my drug dealer for taking my money and not delivering the meth I ordered from him.

No, the real "wedge" he is afraid of is that by enforcing the law, he is going to alienate the aliens and might lose the next election. He seems to have confused his job description of "safety under the law" with "comfy in spite of the law".

What we need is a Police Chief that is a law man instead of a politician.

The d-news article doesnt | 1:01 a.m. April 9, 2009

mention this but the law allows law enforcement to opt out. So they really are following the law.

Salt Lake City got it right | 1:02 a.m. April 9, 2009

Salt Lake City made the right decision and here is why.

Anyone tasked with enforcing immigration law has temptation to racially profile. State law enforcement officers, who are always around everywhere enforcing every law on the books almost, if they were to racially profile would make live quite untolerable for the minorities in our community.

The founders got it right when they tasked the federal government, not the states to handle immigration.

We try to get around this by having state police become federal police also, but this is not in keeping with the spirit of the constitution.

Salt Lake City made a good call.

Chief Says Law's Racially... | 1:12 a.m. April 9, 2009

motivated. But are Mexicans, Salvadorans, et all a separate race from me, a honky?

I guess the natives would be. But your average Mexican is either Spanish or a mix of Spanish and native. Does that constitute a separate race?

If Chief Burbank would have said that the law was bigoted, than that would have been right. But racial motivated? I'm not so sure.

Chad | 1:38 a.m. April 9, 2009

It seems to me that the law basically allows officers to investigate immigration status of people that are picked up. I don't think anyone expects that SLCPD would be doing factory raids or anything like that. It seems like a simple, common-sense thing to have the police officers with all possible legal tools at their disposal. Right now, as I understand it, SLCPD has no obligation or authority to check immigration status and act on that status. If they find out the person they just got was illegal, they then call ICE, which may or may not come and get the guy. So, it is just easier to let them go. SLCPD with ICE authority would simplify the situation and allow enforcement. This seems to be a great tool to get some gangs off the street by deporting when other charges may not appropriate. Simply having a gang tattoo is not a crime. If officers can deport a current gang member that is only charged with a simple crime or is suspected only of other crimes, that is a win in my book.

Illustrative | 1:38 a.m. April 9, 2009

. . . of the problem our Nation faces -- SLC's police hierarchy considers enforcing the law to be violating criminals' human rights!

How did we get into this mess?

Oh yeah, now I remember. Democrats are going after the illegal alien vote.

Burbank is wrong | 1:49 a.m. April 9, 2009

SB 81 is NOT racially motivated. Nowhere in the bill is a specific race mentioned. The fact that the huge illegal Latino population will be most affected by this law has nothing to do with the law itself and everything to do with personal decisions made by individuals (most of whom happen to be Latino and most of those from Mexico) to enter this country illegally or overstay a visa. How do the illegal choices of foreign nationals make this bill racist?

What about the fraudulent documents they purchase? What about the smugglers they pay to bring them here? What about the drugs they carried on their way into our country? These people are not innocent victims - they are complicit in all this crime! It is the people of Utah who are the victims of these aliens and the greedy, dishonest employers who hire them.

I have always trusted law enforcement but sadly that has changed. If illegal aliens and their despicable employers are above the law, then we all should be above the law. I am an honest, law-abiding citizen and I deserve to feel that law enforcement will protect me. Shame on Shurtleff, Becker and Burbank!

Concerned | 3:06 a.m. April 9, 2009

What part of ILLEGAL is not understood here? Apparently if one chooses to add race to the issue then illegal ceases to be "illegal".

Maybe that is the solution to avoiding enforcement a lot of other laws. Let's just say that the problem is racial, then the matter doesnt have to be enforced.

Our "law enforcement officials" send a dangerous signal when they selectively enforce any law.

The word here is ILLEGAL. How about the victims of identity theft, driving without insurance, hit and run victims, emergency room overload. The word is "ILLEGAL" no matter what race is involved. If Polygamists were labels Caucasians would the Attorney General stop prosecuting because it was racist?

Apparently our Leaders feel that the answer is to call the matter racial profiling and they are relieved of any enforcement duty. Will they do that with all races including Caucasian?

Timj | 4:10 a.m. April 9, 2009

Let's say I've been burglarized. I know that if I call the cops, they'll check and find out I'm not legally in the U.S. I don't speed, I don't do drugs, I've never committed other crimes, other than being in the U.S. illegally. So I don't call the cops, and the burglar (and I have a pretty good idea of who it is) goes free. Now extend that to more serious crimes like rape and murder.
The police are smart to realize that it's bad public policy to harm the people who tell them about dangerous crimes.
What's more important, getting the dangerous criminals off the street or getting rid of the non-dangerous illegal immigrants? Cops are already overburdened as it is. They don't have the time, men, or resources to take care of both problems.
This needs to be fixed at the national level. This is not a job for the local police.

good judgment | 5:14 a.m. April 9, 2009

This guy has all my respect for standing up against this pitiful law. I wish all law enforcement agents were as honorable as Burbank. As an honest, law abiding citizen, I feel that this demonstrates how law enforcement is protecting my rights. If someone gets pulled over for speeding, I don't want the police investigating everything about them. That is what big government is all about and I don't want that, but it looks like several poster like the idea of 'big brother' knowing everything they do.

There are a couple arguments on here that show how narrowminded some Utahns still are. "Burbank is wrong" already showed he/she is racist by blindly assuming the latino population would be most affected. "Illustrative" hears things from the gossip wheel and thinks that illegal immigrants can vote. and "SPOC - ??? where did this guy come from???

Let's get educated and maybe hear more from Chad, who actually makes a point that should be discussed.

Love thy neighbor | 5:40 a.m. April 9, 2009

Mormons do a lot of proselytizing among immigrants in this country. Many of the converts in our ward in PA were immigrant mushroom workers (illegals no doubt). We were told by our Stake Leadership the Church can call an immigrant on a (U.S.) "mission" if he/she is in danger of being deported.

Burbank is right. Police are tasked with stopping those who commit crimes--they are not INS/ICE agents. If a criminal is an illegal immigrant then it becomes the job of the INS/ICE to send them back to their country of origin.
BTW The Social Security Administration reports "illegals" pay $9 billion in Social Security taxes every year--which they do not get back.

BILL | 5:42 a.m. April 9, 2009

I would gladly be deputized for criminal emforcement. Is it possible for a citizen of the State of Utah to be deputized? If the Salt Lake Police force is unwilling to be deputized maybe law abiding citizens who support and uphold the laws of the State of Utah should unite and be deputized. Why deal with a police force of a few hundred when we could deputize several thousands. It is time for us to stand up as citizens to uphold the laws of the State and to relinquish the rights to those who are hear illegally. Lets all unite, be deputized and do the job the Salt Lake Police force is unwilling to do.

Paul in MD | 6:17 a.m. April 9, 2009

"Chief says law's racially..." @1:12 AM 4/9 has it right. Peru's former president was Fujimori - that's Japanese. I know people from Argentina who are of German or Italian descent. South and Central Americans are not all "minorities" here.

There is nothing racial or bigoted about a law that requires police to check backgrounds and papers to ensure that a suspect in another crime is here legally. Employers are supposed to do that with everyone they hire. Police may not think to do so unless the suspect's primary language isn't English.

If the statistical majority of people in this country, or in Utah, for whom English is not the primary language happen to be non-Caucasian, that does not make the law or the actions racially motivated or racial profiling.

I have to reiterate what others have said on this subject - someone who is here without going through the proper steps has broken the law and should be subject to it. No one's human rights are trampled when an illegal alien is detained and deported.

Chris Burbank wrong? | 6:20 a.m. April 9, 2009

Right or wrong on SB81, Chief Burbank has the lawful authority to order his officers to ignore literally any law (other than child abuse/elder abuse). Police may choose to not enforce sodomy laws, as has been decided in Salt Lake City. They may choose not to enforce illegal immigration. They may choose to enforce laws in certain places, such as enforcing drug laws only in Pioneer Park. Burbank's decision will, in fact, dramatically increase drug dealing as his officers avoid dealing with illegal aliens, demonstrated over the past several years to comprise the bulk of drug dealing in Salt Lake City. Perhaps that speaks to our failed drug strategy as much as it does to Chief Burbank's views on allowing a certain level of drug trafficking.

One might think that Rep. Noel, whose son is a county sheriff, would understand that the city police don't operate the county jail. Cutting jail funds is an uninformed knee-jerk reaction of the worst kind. Salt Lake City is on its way to becoming a true metro community, much like San Francisco. Let it happen. I vote for Burbank on this!

Quasimodo | 6:29 a.m. April 9, 2009

What is so wrong with being a sanctuary city? There may be illegals committing crimes, but more illegals work for reasonable wages and support our local economy. I bet that the person complaining that Salt Lake will become a sanctuary city ate at a restaurant will illegal alien cooks, had his lawn mowed by an illegal alien, drove to work today on a road built by an illegal alien. We're profiting substantially from these people and we ought to recognize that they are a resource to be used and not visitors to be expelled.

Chief Burbank recognizes that the hotels and restaurants in Salt Lake City would collapse without illegals. That would kill tourism as hotel occupancy rates went down and room rates went up. Hurray for Mayor Becker for being independent and preserving our economy.

Bryan Robinson | 6:39 a.m. April 9, 2009

Good for Chief Burbank, Mayor Becker and Mark Shurtleff. Finally, someone willing to do the right thing and to tell the truth without fear of political fallout. For all the good intentions of the backers of SB-81, it is still a BAD bill and will have a detrimental affect on our economy and our society as a whole. For those of you who support SB-81, how may have actually read it and studied it? How many of taken the time to see what similar bills have done to destroy other communities around this country? I support legal action to stop the implementation of SB-81.

Unbelievable! | 6:52 a.m. April 9, 2009

How far we have twisted from the days about 10 years ago when former SLC Police Chief Rueben Ortega stated that "Half the crime in Utah was related to illegal immigrants" to now when the top cop is afraid to eliminate crime by getting rid of the criminals and the conditions that faciitate their criminal acts.

Why bother robbers, since maybe they just want more money to feed their drug habits? Why bother speeders who may be late for work?

While the legislature (foolishly in my opinion) made participation in border enforcement optional, it is clear that it is in our national and local self interest to do so.

Of course, it may be very advantageous to pandering liberal politicians to appease criminals in hopes of getting votes when their illegal presence is forgiven.

Tell me again why I should bother paying taxes to support a government grown so distant from the foundation of our country, and so corrupt and self serving for elected politicians!

I, for one, do NOT want to live in a crime riddled welfare state like Kalifornia, which, thanks to their amnesty policies, is now de facto Mexico's northern colony.

ENFORCE ALL THE LAWS!

Oh please | 6:53 a.m. April 9, 2009

The SLPD has been racially profilling for years and years. Get a new top cop. He is coward and afraid to do his job. Throw him in jail for failing to do his job. Oh, can't do that. Then the state should step in. He knew the law was being passed. Why didn't he speak up then. He is coming across as being a really poor example. Being a skinhead doesn't help. Get him out of there.

Proud Citizen | 7:03 a.m. April 9, 2009

As a legal immigrant, now a proud american citizen, I can tell you that it took me years of waiting and cost a lot of money to come to this country legally. I worked all kinds of jobs including cleaning toilets and picking fruit to earn the money. I am LDS and my religion teaches me to obey the laws of the land even though it would have been easier to come here illegally and overstay my visa. I think it's awful that the police chief of Salt Lake refuses to obey and enforce the law. Fire him immediately and get someone who will. I don't care where the illegal alien is from, illegal is illegal is illegal, get out of my home and stop taking advantage of our schools, hospitals and employment opportunities. If you are LDS, you ought to ashamed to be breaking the law.

arc | 7:10 a.m. April 9, 2009

Congressman Chaffetz is so effective in his stance on immigration policies. I am confident that he will have a serious influence on cleaning up immigration and its many loopholes.

Anonymous | 7:16 a.m. April 9, 2009

I call it chicken. We all need to do our part. Look at our schools and the growing numbers, how many of them are here getting an education on my dime when they should be back in there own country. I had a friend who had a kid from England as a exchange student and they had to pay for him to go to school in Utah because he was not a Utah citizen nor a US citizen. But you can come here from Mexico and not be legal and it is alright. Which is fair.

MIke | 7:27 a.m. April 9, 2009

The illegal immigration issue can be solved relatively easily and efficiently:

-Agressively capture ANY illegals with newly hired INS agents (economic stimulus)
-Fine employers for hiring them (revenue)
-Transport them to a newly built detainee facility built by Americans in the desert employing Americans to staff it (economic stimulus)
-Utilizing military aircraft (which make international flights daily anyway) fly the detainees to their home country. We can use our military bases as landing spots. It does not matter if their country wants them back or not...they belong there not here. Its not like anyone asked us if we wanted them...
Simplistic view I know, but at least I'm thinking of solutions instead of just saying 'oh well'...

alan hunt | 7:35 a.m. April 9, 2009

we all are suppose to live by the laws of our land and that should include the salt lake city police dept. what would happen if I went to my job today and refused to do the work, or only the work I felt like doing. should I keep my job or be replaced with someone willing to do what they are being paid to do? if the police chief in salt lake cannot or willnot do his or her job, they should be replaced. it is a direct insult to all of us to have a tax paid civil servant refuse to do what they get paid to do.

cb | 7:35 a.m. April 9, 2009

Does this mean we can pick which laws we want to obey? I for one will boycott shopping in Salt lake City.

Utah Citizen | 7:42 a.m. April 9, 2009

Fire all those that will not uphold the law!

Re: Spoc | 7:46 a.m. April 9, 2009

You're comparing apples with oranges... A burglar is a lawbreaker in the same way that an illegal immigrant is a lawbreaker. But one who parks illegally is also a lawbreaker like a serial killer is a lawbreaker. But tell me, which one should society be more concerned about?... Let's turn the tables: If the police were deputized to pay special attention to all those who have ever parked illegaly, wouldn't that have a chilling effect? Since you and I have surely parked illegally at some point in our lives, wouldn't this stop us from reporting crimes and drive us further underground?... Your logic confuses "kind" (both are lawbreakers) with "degree" (one offense is more serious than the other).

Angry as Hell | 7:49 a.m. April 9, 2009

The employers who hire the illegals are the real ones committing the crimes as they are stealing from the law abiding citizens as the rest of us have to pay to educate their children, pay their medicaid, and pay to house them in our prisons and jails. that is "theft" of public resources. The police chief should go after the employers.
Go for it Rep. Noel.

they belong here | 7:51 a.m. April 9, 2009

as much as this silver star wearing vet belongs in mexico...i didn't any of them in my foxhole with me fighting for someone else's human rigths and carrying out the wounded so that they could make it home...it irks me no end when these guys are hired over my two sons to work on college campuses like westminster..and can't speak a word of english. so there fore they are given more humane treatment than my sons who are bypassed over by some private contractor to save a buck so that makes he and the school more HUMANE? Give me a break ...my children as citizens, yes that is citizens deserve to be working thost jobs because they are legal citizens..put America back to work or put a sign up that says "mexicans only" and save us the trouble!! This country was built on sacrifice , well i saw the sacrifice..now where's the justice...everyone wants to reward this populace because it's politically correct..well go stand in line behind them sometimes yourself and you come away with a differnt attitude..I bleed red, white and blue ..how bout you?

He has to go | 7:56 a.m. April 9, 2009

Get rid of this person who is supposed to defend the laws of the country and uphold the constitution.

Paul | 7:56 a.m. April 9, 2009

Salt Lake is becoming less and less of a place anyone else in Utah would want to visit. But, I guess the good news is we don't have to go to LA to get our smog and crime anymore.

Timj | 7:57 a.m. April 9, 2009

Some of the posters have overlooked the fact that the law merely allows the police department to crack down on illegal immigrants, it does not force them to. The police department has apparently decided that going after murderers, rapists, and other serious criminals is more of a priority than doing the federal government's job.

dave | 8:00 a.m. April 9, 2009

Isn't it the job of our police to ENFORCE THE LAW ! Let the courts decide the legality, JUST DO YOUR JOB!!!! if you don't like it find another way to support your family!

Halibut | 8:06 a.m. April 9, 2009

I'm tired of politicians (and police chiefs) pushing immigration enforcement off on the feds. Crime control, good public order, public health, job availability and depressed wages are concerns for ALL levels of government. If illlegal immigration is causing or would cause these factors to affect American citizens or legal aliens, then goverment (at all levels) needs to be involved.

Public safety first | 8:12 a.m. April 9, 2009

I would love to have the local police always focused on public safety. Let ICE enforce immigration laws, let the libraries collect overdue books, etc. I don't want undocumented individuals reluctant to interact with the police for fear of deportation. Rep. Noel enjoys the spotlight of being far right on this and other issues. I'm glad he lives in Kanab.

Knowwhat | 8:18 a.m. April 9, 2009

Timj, your logic is a sure sign of your maligned liberal thought process. The fact is, if you weren't in the country illegally, you would not have a problem calling the police to investigate the crime against you. Because you have broken the law and are here illegally you are allowing criminals to get away with crimes. You have started the criminal process and are just facilitating it and justifying it because of your own criminal activity. An ethical person would own up to what they really are and try to change that. LIbEral means LIE.

Chris | 8:20 a.m. April 9, 2009

IT IS ABOUT TIME SOMEONE DID THE RIGHT THING!

100 points for Chris Burbank for doing what is right!

We need more conscious people like him. GOB BLESS HIS JOB AND HIS FAMILY.

Knowwhat | 8:30 a.m. April 9, 2009

Love Thy Neighbor, 9 billion in Social Security taxes that they don't get back? California reports that they pay out annually 10.1 billion for health care and education costs on illegal aliens and Texas reports they pay 4.7 billion annually for the same. If you factored in all the costs of the 50 states I think you will find that 9 billion just doesn't cover it and it is the legal citizens of the US that end up getting worked.

Does anybody read ... | 8:31 a.m. April 9, 2009

The police in SLC have a duty to uphold the law of the land.

But somewhere they have added the clause. As they see fit. In otherwords, uphold the laws if they see fit.

This is not how it is suppose to work, they are suppose to protect and to serve, and uphold and defend the law. THEY DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE BUT ABIDE BY THE LAW.

I AM GOING TO STOP PAYING MY LOCAL AND STATE TAXES UNTIL THEY COMPLY!!! They ask us to comply, THE POLICE CAN DO THE SAME. COMPLY or go get another job.

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