Reader comments
Strike force targeting illegals is lauded

Black Saint | 3:20 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

One cannot be political correct and admit that Illegal Aliens are an large part of the problems in this Nation.

Their negative impact extends to every area from Sub-par loans & defaults, Underground economy, Massive document fraud, Lower standard of living, Crime, Overflowing prisons , Bankrupted hospitals, Failing schools, Property Taxes, Insurance costs, Environment, Culture, Welfare costs, Welfare fraud, SS fraud, Voter fraud, Disrespect for our laws & country, our Constitution against invasion and even Balance of payments occurring from oil and other imports to support the 20 to 30 million illegal aliens in this country!

Why Not | 3:36 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

"We're not after the housemaids and the lawn workers," Wallentine said"

Why are they not pursuing all those individuals, after all they are criminals too. They entered our country illegally. Is that crime too small? What about using a fake SS # or even worse someone else's social security #. What about working illegally and failing to pay taxes? What about all the misuses of our medical, educational and social service resources, while not necessarily criminal is immoral and smacks of dishonesty. What about taking jobs that Americans desperately need in this economy? What about getting in-state tuition when american citizen kids can't afford college educations.

Selective enforcement of the law to bolster Shurtleff's senate bid is really what this is all about. His "I'm tough on illegal immigration" isn't fooling me.

Condoning Identity Theft | 3:45 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

This is the same Mark Shurtleff who told us that illegal aliens were stealing our children’s identities and that he was going to stop them.

However, a short time later, he was standing before a massive illegal alien rally telling those present that he would not arrest them even though he knew full well that many of them were committing identity theft.

AG Shurtleff knows that 75% of illegal aliens have fraudulent Social Security numbers and that this is a felony. He knows that up to 50,000 Utah children have their identities being used by illegal aliens in order to obtain jobs and that they suffer real harm. He knows that that 1,636 companies were found to be paying salaries to the Social Security numbers of Utah children under 13.

So, does he tell illegal aliens to cease and desist using our children's identities? No. Does he encourage all Utah employers to use E-Verify in order to stop illegal driven child identity theft? No. Does he have his strike force go after illegal aliens who are committing identity fraud in order to obtain jobs which is a felony? No.

Comments continue below

Christian Policing? | 4:29 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

This ought to be an example to the police who seem to think that there is nothing between totally ignoring illegal alien status, like Chief Chris Burbank at Salt Lake City, and believing that any brown person should be stopped and hassled for proof of citizenship. Whether somebody agrees that the local cops should or shouldn't be deputized Immigrations Agents, who can disagree with going after guns, drugs and fake ID's? I wish that I could vote for Brad Dee. He's one Republican who seems to apply common sense to a complex problem.

Why not? | 4:40 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

I agree with Why Not that all of the illegals are criminals and should be dealt with. All of the speeders should be dealt with. All of the tax cheats should be dealt with. All those who take 2 SUnday papers from a vending machine, for the price of one, should be dealt with. Every kid who ever cheated on a school test should be dealt with.

Maybe even every person whose grandparents were illegal immigrants should be dealt with.

For now, I'm glad that someone has the sense and smarts to go after the top dogs who create the fake IDs that others use to steal social security numbers. I'm glad that someone is targeting the illegals that are selling guns and large quantities of drugs.

Please, Mr. Shurtleff, make "Why Not?" happy. Send your officers to stop brown skinned persons who are speeding. That makes perfect sense!!

Social Security | 4:44 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

The one police agency that you didn't see with the US Attorney was the Social Security criminal investigation division. Yes, they exist and they have an office in Salt Lake City. Their ONLY job is to enforce federal felony social security crimes. Do you think that they lift a finger to enforce the illegals using someone else's social security number? No! Local police can't even get someone to answer the phone at their office, let alone a return phone call or some help when they do catch an illegal. Why does Mr. Tolman let those guys continue to be a do-nothing police department? Fire them all and turn social security felony crimes over to the FBI. Then something would get done.

Criminals | 4:51 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

If there weren't illegal aliens that the federal government lets into the state, or if Utah repelled them at the borders, the strike force cops wouldn't have to do anything with illegals and could get all of the legal US Citizen selling guns and drugs and doing money fraud crimes. Why don't they go after the asian gangs and the tongan and samoan gangs? Is it because they are all legal citizens?

Christian cops? | 5:20 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

Let's not cheapen Christianity or any other religion by grading the cops on a religious scale. It is odd that the Utah Republican right is so dead set on eradicating illegal aliens -even the guy who mows my lawn and does a heckuva job at it- and yet so many of my Mormon neighbors are these same hard-core ultraright wingers. My Mormon neighbors are great people and not too pushy about their culture. I love them. But how do they get to claim to be so Christian, even getting mad when other churches say you're not, and yet your are the bulwark of a political party that is anything but Christian in its approach to the immigrant community? I don't get it. Thanks, Mormons, for talking out about pornography and honesty and child abuse. But Mr. Monson, why not talk some sense into the Mormon legislators? Counsel them about a Jewish carpenter who broke a few laws.

All that aside, these police officers are doing a great job of not going after the easy target low-level criminals. Keep up the good work!

To Why not? | 4:40 | 5:42 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

Speaking as the grandson of an illegal alien, I'm not the least bit worried that Mr. Shurtleff's dragnet will snare me. And, I'm grateful for his efforts to step into the breach created by SLC's santuary policies.

Remember, the predators being removed from the streets by the task force prey primarily on other illegal immigrants.

While that seems to be of no concern to SLC officials, I'm glad the AG is empathetic enough to do something about it.

Shurtleff? Look whose talking | 5:43 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

Mark Shurtleff and his office attend illegal immigrant gatherings with his message to cheering crowds: “Documented or undocumented, we welcome you!”

I realize he is trying to tell ICE he will only work with them if the ignore the status of victims and witnesses. Shurtleff is in a tough place to be, but it does matter the status.

Social security police? | 7:00 p.m. Oct. 21, 2009

I never heard that there was such a thing as social security cops, but I looked on the internet and there is. Why aren't they the ones stopping the thefts of our social security numbers? This is stupid. We pay taxes to the federal government for national law enforcement and these guys do nothing! Why doesn't Hatch or Bennett step in?

This kind of street crime is just what the attorney general and our city police should go after, because that is Utah State law. Why do we have them going after social security number theft when the federal criminal investigators don't?

To the non-Mormon commentator, good that you have good neighbors. But you should not judge the LDS church by your neighbors and you should not say that we are not Christian. Whatever you are, we don't attack your church. For your information, President Monson and President Hinckley told us to be kind to illegal aliens. That doesn't mean that elected representatives can't vote by their conscience. The LDS church doesn't tell them how to vote on illegal alien laws.

MikeH | 4:26 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Who decides what a major crime is, and does this mean the attorney general will no longer enforce minor and average laws for citizens?

After all, if you give someone from a foreign country preferential treatment, you are discriminating against American citizens.

All are criminals. | 5:13 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009

How does this task force determine who is a criminal? For all illegal aliens are criminals and all should be treated as such. They have all criminally forced and pursued illegal entry into this country.

This task force should include any and all members of a family as co-conspirators in crimes committed by any family member. They all share in the crimes, even their anchors (children).

Doing half a job is not enough, they must consider all illegals criminals, not just those caught committing additional crimes.

The potential in savings to government and the taxpaying american citizens can run in the billions of dollars a year if all illegals from mexico and beyond were deported with prejudice. That means no courts or legal counsel, except from their embassies after deportation.

Sympathy or hate has noting to do with blatant criminal activities of being an illegal alien.

Nickky L. | 7:23 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Too little, Too late. Every illegal needs to be deported. They all commit felonies with documentation fraud and immigration violations.

Gosh, I'm Just Glad... | 8:07 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009

...the Native Americans never asked to check our pilgrim ancestors' paperwork when they stepped off the Santa Maria, etc. Such short memories and how easy it is to point a finger.

The immigration problem is large and complex with no easy fix - only normalization will work (back taxes, english proficiency, fines, screeing out criminals). Anything else is just pure malarkey that doesn't reflect the reality on the ground -- millions are here (yes, anchored) and are gonna stay.

Sure, once we get a workable fed bill out of Congress, I'm all for protected borders and enhanced verification (biometric as Schumer is proposing); but until then, let's not let our baser/tribal instincts trump our more developed attributes (conscience, compassion).

Anonymous | 10:46 a.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Then there is the straw man Argument this Nation cannot afford to deport 12 million invading Criminals when the problem is we cannot afford to not deport them!

At any rate deportation would save billions in the long run over what they will cost this Nation in welfare in the coming years. Every person with less that a high school education cost a average of 55 thousand over their life time, so apply that times the 12 million plus all their relatives & their relatives in a never ending chain & deportation would be a great bargain and save trillions in the coming years! But deportations is not necessary, just close our borders and enforcing our Laws with E-Verify. Fine companies, imprison executives and cut out the welfare they will self deport. No jobs, No Welfare equals no Illegal Aliens!

John | 12:09 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Great work !
What a wonderful team and whay great success !
Worth every penny on my tax dollars !

Jobs | 1:07 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009

We could create thousands of jobs by increasing the number of border patrol agents and ICE agents significantly, hiring and training citizens to process the deportation paperwork and to drive buses full of illegals back to the border for those who entered illegally that way and to help with travel plans those who flew in from other countries and overstayed their visas. There would even be lots of jobs for social workers to find homes for anchor children if their parents refused to take them back to the parents country of origin. Then they have all been deported, we could fill the jobs that are currently being filled by illegals. Worried about your fast food, housekeeping and lawns, lots of high school and college kids willing to work at those jobs. We might even significantly reduce the crime committed in certain parts of the city, reduce class size and reduce emergency room demands. This is real compassion, allow illegals to improve their own countries by repatriating them. Then rework immigration to allow people to enter legally.

Argue aruound the issue | 9:40 a.m. Oct. 24, 2009

Instead of arguing around the issue, why not ask one question:
Is entering this country without documentation an illegal act?

While we're at it:
Is practicing medicine without proper documentation an illegal act?
Is driving without proper documentation an illegal act?
Is purchasing a house without proper documentation an illegal act?
Is selling restricted substances without proper documentation an illegal act?
Is taking another life without proper documentation and illegal act?

All the good intentions in the world do not make any of those illegal acts acceptable.

Scofflaws are just that. If we want to become a country that obeys just the laws we agree with, then we are as bad as the crap-hole countries these people are trying to escape from.

The only reason people try to justify an illegal act is because they lack the moral courage to enforce that law.

Money well spent | 7:43 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009

I agree with John. So much of our tax dollars are spent on silly programs and special interests that lobbyists order legislators to pay for. This is a good start, but the legislator Brad Dee who started this should make this strike force be more than just a flash in the pan until after his reelection.

Practicing medicine without documentation is in fact illegal, and that seems to be a lot more important to stop than buying a house. What's your point?

Xavier Onassis | 3:06 p.m. Oct. 25, 2009

This is the spoonful of sugar before the mass amnesty pill. BOHICA.

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