Reader comments
SB81 provisions clarified by officials

geezzzzzzz | 7:22 p.m. July 2, 2009

can i expect this kind of treatment in any of the other foreign countries ..then what or why the heck even apply for a passport ...they gonna ignore me anyways and i have not broken any laws so i toe the line as an illegal in the first place.

Silva | 8:54 p.m. July 2, 2009

It should be noted that agencies other than Latino will be monitoring the police departs for compliance under the law.

Demand EIVerify from your elected officials. It's the only way. A half hour on an employers part and we end this mess.

Driving privilage card | 12:27 a.m. July 3, 2009

Alvarez said anyone pulled over by the police is required to show a driver's license, proof of insurance and current registration – and nothing else.

Just show them your Utah driving privilage card. The cops will never know that you are an Illegal Alien.

The Utah legislature passed a new law that removed the legal alien from the driving privilage card and placed them onto the standard Utah drivers license.

Only the Illegal Alien is on the Driving privilage card.

I cannot belive the total incompetence of leadership within the Utah Coalition of La Raza in the continuing stirring up of hysteria in the latin, hispanic community.

They are the ones who have provided the misinformation concerning SB81 calling it a racist bill when nothing of the sort exists.

This American of proud Mexican heritage states that the Coalition of La Raza does not speak for me.

Comments continue below

SammyD | 1:48 a.m. July 3, 2009

E-Verify now!

Utahns should not be afraid to call the police, if they know someone is breaking this law. Housing, transportation etc.

Illegal representation | 4:19 a.m. July 3, 2009

These illegals have no legal representation and it seems every thing designed to expose illegal aliens, including the mexicans, is being subverted by our own law enforcement. Illegal is illegal and that fact is breaking the law. Illegals have no rights of americans and are subject to laws of foreign national illegals. Every person is subject to identification and proof of identification, status as legal or illegal. There is no law that says illegals cannot be identified by questioning them and where they are from. Who do these illegals think they are? They are scum criminals who live on deception and lies. They should fear the law and the american citizens because the american citizens can also enforce the laws and make citizens arrests. An illegal is breaking the law and falsifing identification to hide from justice. We can discriminate against illegals regardless of race and it is not illegal to do so. To all illegals, don't get too comfortable with your illegal and corrupt lives, you still have to fight the american people.

what a put down | 7:18 a.m. July 3, 2009

to those new citizens who took six years of the legal path... if there ever was a double- standard this is it. corporate america is to blame and the guy who was at the helm...this problem must be solved one way or the other.. what i get tired of is the rhetoric in telling bonafide citizens of this country to give special treatment and don't even question...this after the american citizen themselves lost quite a few rights due to 9/11 , get it right or don't run no double standards policy aqainst your own citizens without their input!!

CJ | 7:56 a.m. July 3, 2009

This is so utterly ridiculous it is beyond belief. We now need to assure lawbreaking illegal alien criminals that they need not fear the enforcement of the law. Everyone involved in this insanity needs to be sent packing immediately. The police need to enforce all the laws and stop choosing to enforce the ones they do or do not agree with. Tony Yapias and his ilk need to go back to Mexico and take 250,000 illegals with them. His logic is so totally stupid it defies description. Stop giving them driving permits, jobs, healthcare, and education and they will deport themselves. The insanity in the immigration debate is off the charts, come here legally or stay home! Period, end of discussion. If you came here any other way, get out now!

Anonymous | 8:07 a.m. July 3, 2009

Show them your driving privilege card. Then remain silent when they ask you if you are illegal. Only illegals have driving privilege cards.

Great advice Raza.

Do you keep your leadership positions by creating hysteria amongst the latino population?

No legal resident has anything to fear. Illegals probably do have something to fear. You are going to get caught at some point unless you follow every law and obey every traffic regulation.

Phantom Panther | 8:19 a.m. July 3, 2009

Legal immigrants and native born Americans (Hispanic and otherwise) have nothing to fear from SB81. It protects U.S. citizens from the flood of cheap labor flowing across our borders. It will also help protect us from the illegal activity that goes with illegal immigration (document fraud, stolen SS#s, drug trafficking, etc.). It's about time the state did something to deter the increasing problem of illegal immigration.

Geneina | 8:21 a.m. July 3, 2009

“Tony Yapias of Proyecto Latino de Utah told the audience gathered at downtown's Centro Civico Mexicano that it was a time to toe the line of the law.”

Did Mr. Yapias, Mr. Alvarez, Mr. Branch, Ms. Isabel Rojas with Comunidades Unidas, or any other illegal alien advocates specifically tell the audience to cease and desist from using fraudulent documents (felony), from committing perjury on I-9 forms (felony) and from victimizing the tens of thousands of Utah’s children whose identities they are using to get jobs which is also a felony under Utah law.

Read “Illegal, but Not Undocumented: Identity Theft, Document Fraud, and Illegal Employment” for more information on these pervasive illegal alien crimes and the role that illegal alien advocates play in justifying and facilitating this culture of corruption. It can be found on the Center for Immigration Studies website.

national identity cards | 8:52 a.m. July 3, 2009

I'm amazed at the hate spewed on here. I know plenty of illegals and the deception inherent in many of their lives really irks me; I've encouraged several to return to their countries to take advantage of good opportunities there.

Immigration is a NATIONAL issue, and the LOCAL police are good enough to recognize that there are/should remain limits to their jurisdiction. It's too bad the NATIONAL gov't is too scared to do anything real about it. The reason it's so easy to become illegal here is not b/c of the borders, but b/c of the fact that we have no nat'l ID card. As a result, we use Driver's Licenses as if they were nat'l ID cards. Yet, the requirement to get a Driver's License is one of residence and not legal status. So, we have this big mess. Fix what's inside first, then we can worry about the borders.

Also, there are plenty of illegals who come here legally. They let their status expire and then become illegal. There is a lot more to this than most people realize.

Profiling- Just Love It | 9:11 a.m. July 3, 2009

These illegals are here by the MILLIONS and the police are not supposed to profile them? Give me a break. They cost our country and society by the BILLIONS and they want to be overlooked? Shape up or ship out! Thats the US way and it will always be that way. Out with these crooks that totally demolish our economies and society. National guard and reserve to the borders with the Border Patrol to enforce this and if that doesn't work how would you mexicans like an military occupation of your country to keep your drug supplying economy from marketing in our country? Thats what we will do.

Thomas J. | 10:19 a.m. July 3, 2009

So much talk. Action is what is needed. Replace any police official who refuses to uphold the law. Enforce deportation laws. Make Utah an undesireable place to live if you are illegal.

Disgusted | 10:39 a.m. July 3, 2009

I'm amazed that during an Independence Day, Utah has turned to bigotry. Illegal is illegal, Yapias is wrong in telling people that it's time to be law abiding. It has always been the time to be law abiding, but, to say that profiling is OK its wrong. I also find it wrong to say that Mexicans are the only illegals. I've known Europeans of every color work illegally. How do you differentiate between a Hispanic person who was born in the US like Alex Segura, head of the imfamous Minutemen and a professional illegal Hispanic. To me Alex Segura and Tony Yapias are wrong: One a renegade Latino and the other a patronizing Latino.How do you differentiate between an African American from an illegal African-Haitian or African? How do you differentiate between a white American and a white from Argentina or Canada? Are we going to segregate the Japanese again as in W.W.II? Those who support profiling should promote a Martial Law where the ICE is in every corner asking for national identification cards. Surely this will continue to be the "Land of the Free." No! Only in UTAH!!!

Phoebe | 11:30 a.m. July 3, 2009

Amen to "Digusted's" comments. There sure are a lot of mean, hateful people out there who don't seem to have anything better to do than rag on immigrants. Give it a rest, please.

Tab L. Uno | 11:41 a.m. July 3, 2009

The Deseret News conveniently left out that Tony Yapias is being considered Lt. Governor by Governor-Elect Gary Herbert and that Mr. Yapias is intending to become either an independent or Republican and supporter of Republican Congressman Chris Cannon. Sometimes the messenger is as important as the message. I'm not saying that Mr. Yapias is someone like conservative African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, but it's helpful to now the personal perspective of an individual providing one with information.

Bud Mason | 12:53 p.m. July 3, 2009

join numbersusa and fight for America

No lesser evil | 12:54 p.m. July 3, 2009

It's unconstitutional enough said. The Republican Party is as it's evil twin the Democratic Party. One kills babies and discriminates strait people. The other hates immigrants and people who are not as white as they are. I refuse to belong to either. I am proud to be an American and despise the political parties who have destroyed this nation in half as George Washington predicted political parties would do.

Fed Up | 1:02 p.m. July 3, 2009

American citizens are losing their jobs at an alarming rate, and still there are Utahns who think we should ignore the illegal immigration problem! Any individual or company that hires illegals should be black balled and drummed out of business! The fact that our law enforcement officials are refusing to verify the status of suspected illegals is appalling. We need to get our priorities straight and start taking care of our citizens FIRST. This is not bigotry. No other country coddles illegals like we do.

Go Back | 1:57 p.m. July 3, 2009

Illegal Alien is not a race, but illegal ethnic Mexicans have given the entire legal ethnic Hispanic folks a bad name. If the illegal aliens don't like it here in the United States they can always go home. They can simply walk through the port of entry.

It seems that the legal Hispanic folks view the illegal aliens as their brothers and sisters and help them hide from authorities. Also, during this economic downturn the legal/or citizen ethnic Hispanics are providing shelter, money and other support which enables the illegal aliens to remain here. The unemployment of illegal aliens, which can only be guessed at, is far higher than for those here legally.

Once again "Illegal Alien" is not a race because they made up from every race and come from every continent. It does seem though, that Mexicans have the biggest claim on this moniker, since they make up by far the largest group of "Illegal Aliens."

Re: Go Back | 5:16 p.m. July 3, 2009

That is right, the problem is not just with the illegals (who obviously disdain U.S. law and sovereignty); it also is with the Mexicans of U.S. citizenship who are loyal not to the U.S., but to Mexico, and who aid and side with those illegally trespassing our borders.

Anyone who feels they shouldn't HAVE to be fearful of U.S. law obviously has no respect for it!

Ajfire | 5:26 p.m. July 3, 2009

Ignorant.
I work in public safety, These "Illegal aliens" are hard working good people who just want the same things that we have. Do we have more right to this land because our "pioneer ancestors"(another word for illegal aliens) stole this land from Mexico and the indians. You have to hate these people for being on our land before we got here.
Criminals? We are the criminals. We spend our time building fences to keep them out, instead of fixing the system to let them in and contribute.
We look down our noses at them while we pay them slave labor to pick our crops. Do you Irish, Black, Mormon etc. forget how this felt.
Racism has no place in you professed christians.
Any LDS member who supports this bill is putting his bigotry before his faith and his fence sitting days are drawing to and end. These beautiful people are the ones that your Book of Mormon tells you about. Read it.
The drain on our society is the white trash. I know, I deal with all day every day. Don't confuse your racism for good legislation. These people are here to stay...God willing.(HE IS).

Re: Ajfire | 4:23 a.m. July 4, 2009

Did you know that aiding, abetting, and protecting illegal aliens is criminal and being a traitor? Comparing these illegals to other immigrants is a slap in the face to those legally wanting to immigrate. Illegals have no defense and most don't want to be documented, then they would have to give up their illegal identities and pay taxes. The real immigrant documents themselves and gets verified before entering this country. People like you Ajfire are the curse and reason we americans are the ones suffering and losing jobs, and god willing, all illegals will feel the wrath of the american people. Being a criminal and committing crimes against america will not be tolerated.

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.