we don't want people that are trying to follow the rules to wait longer to come to the US and have a shot at being a citizen than someone coming without permission. That isn't fair. It sets a bad precedent.

We need to fix legal immigration. I don't want a welcome mat for those not willing to follow the rules and are stealing are ID's.

I might love them as people, but I don't love what they are doing.

I agree with arc. I have many good friends who were born in other countries but who now live here. Some are here legally, some are not. I love them all. But I don't condone being here illegally.

I don't support a heavy-handed approach of rounding up people and sending them back. I DO support holding employers' feet to the fire and requiring them to use the existing federal verification system to ensure that new and existing employees a) are here legally, b) are eligible to work, and c) are not using someone else's stolen social security number. If all hiring entities, private, non-profit and public sector followed this procedure and required it of their contractors, then illegals would leave of their own accord (and would also communicate to the folks back home to not come because there is no work!). Simple solution.

I'd personally like to see the businesses who were lax in allowing illegals to work foot the bill for any assistance needed to help people return home.

BTW--I think we'll find that supply and demand will eventually sort out the jobs left behind--they won't go unfilled for long. As the cheap labor supply shrinks wages will increase.

I refuse to welcome those who have come here illegally just like I would refuse to welcome home invasion robbers into my home. There is something fundamentally wrong with a government that is still trying to find a way to grant amnesty to illegal aliens who have thumbed their noses at us and have absolutely no respect for us, our laws, or the sovereignty of our country. Why doesn't this matter to them?

I seem to remember (perhaps I am wrong) reading recently that the SLC Chamber of Commerce is working on a plan to deal with illegal immigration. Why? We already have a plan. It's called SB81! Legislators should have voted to make it effective this past July rather than waiting until next year.

Extreme vigilance is required now because many will attempt to gut the bill or eliminate it entirely. That would be a mockery of the rule of law.

This really is a problem. It has destroyed the schools and healthcare here and I'm predicting Utah (where I was born) is on a delayed course. Sure, we need to treat people nice, but if they shouldn't be in the United States then send them politely on their way. Don't give in. The real solution is to encourage other countries to improve themselves first and our country can let those who want do it the right way immigrate.

arc - That might be the nicest comment I have ever seen you post. I agree with you. Now it's about the details. This is a tough issue whether people want to admit it or not. People win elections by using bumper sticker slogans like "we need to fix legal immigration." The problems come in trying to sort those items out that start dealing with details.

My guess is that anything that would allow someone to stay here that came to the US illegally is amnesty in your eyes. You may say that but if we started talking about the details on how to do that or who it might affect - my other guess is that you'd think twice about it.

Chaffetz won an election using this tactic of not talking details b/c it gets too muddied. I applaud his tactic but it leaves much to work out at the end.

I'm a native Utahan descended from the original Mormon settlers and I don't feel welcome in Utah with my California plates. What's the big deal?

Who are these Sutherland people? I picked up a copy of their report and found it to be very out of touch and dangerous if anyone follows their suggestions. Obviously these guys need to get out into the real world and see that there is a criminal element involved with illegal aliens. I'm glad to see at least some legislators calling them onto the carpet.

We ofter talk about the problem of illegal immigration, but we actually have a problem of illegal employment. I don't see anyone complaining about the employers who are "breaking federal law"

Well said arc. You were succinct and on point especially with the "I might love them as people, but I don't love what they're doing".

Hickman is a blowhard. And now I hear the right wing is floating him to run against Bob Bennett for US Senate. Oh boy!

This issue is pretty complicated as evidenced by the fact that no one has solved it yet. Deportations having been setting new records each year for the past 4 or 5 years. The border fence hsa reduced illegal border crossings by hundreds of thousands a year. Yet illegal immigration persists.

Enforcement alone will not stop the masses from doing what they want. Enforcement must continue but other methods need to be considered, such as a workable migrant visa.

SB 81, as I understand it, has good provisions. It concepts to cut off the benefits of US Citizenship to those who are not US Citizens. It will have a strong impact on the presence of those in Utah illegally. It alone will not settle the issue. The Sutherland is right to look at or consider other ways of addressing the issue.

Bill Hickman worries me. He has been a blah, blah, yada, yada Representative and Senator for 16 years now. Even on this issue he helped kill thoughtful immigration bills two years ago. Now he'll save us?

the USA.

These illegal foreign nationals are not adding any value to Utah. They expect and believe that america is a socialist economy and spunging off our social services and welfare programs. Their tax burden exceeds any gain and they are doing this with lies, deceit, and falsification of information that cannot be verified or proven. And they and their employers know this. These illegals and their employers are not paying any income taxes and they have no identity. They can commit crimes and fraud rampantly and openly without any consequences from the law. If caught they are released and relocate at will with no means to be traced. They have also put excessive burdens on our education systems that illegals are using as daycare centers while the illegal parents defraud the american people. They have and are multipling like rabbits to establish anchor babies and increase welfare benefits. Thier idea of assimilation is americans assimilate the illegal criminal lives without regard to violation of any laws. There is no such thing as a nice and friendly illegal, they are stabbing america in the back with thier hands out. Laws must address the business community and their lucrative tax evasion profiting.

The state should hold employers accountable to curb illegal immigration. They should be fined greatly each instance they hire an undocumented worker.

Will someone please come check my neighborhood?? I am surrounded by illegals on all sides. As mentioned, the people can be loved, but I do not love those who commit felonies to be here.. I don't love what the child molester does, why should I love what illegal aliens are doing?

HOW CAN ANYONE PUT BREAKING THE LAW, BEFORE GIVING ILLEGAL'S SO MANY RIGHTS, LET THEM START BY COMING IN THE FRONT DOOR WITH LEGAL PAPERS!!!

"If a person of good will comes to our state looking to make Utah a better place to live, work and raise a family, then we should welcome that person — from wherever and however they come to us,"
I agree with this statement, but illegals don't fit the definition. They all need someone else's identity to work.
I'm not willing to let them use mine of my families, are you ?

They are taking all the lower grungy jobs, allowing us good upstanding citizens to go into the chushy jobs.

This is intollarable I hate it, or so it would seem given the response of many Utah's.

If people come here legally, learn English and respect our customs and rule of law - we welcome them with open arms. If they come here illegally, want us to learn their language, fly their countries flag and expect free services - they are NOT welcome here! Send them home to their own country. Rule of law and English is what made America great!

Our immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed. That is one thing Bush and McCain are right about. If all illegals were deported, our economy would collapse. Most illegals have legal family members, wives, husbands or children. Deportation would break-up countless families. Sending hard working people back to starve where there is no work will be hard to explain to St. Peter at the Gates of Heaven.

Ask Arizona how wonderful it is with their illegal immigrants. It appears that many are not so nice. They have broken laws, taken easy money from the government, and left some of our own in harms way. I am not opposed to people coming here-but do it legally. When we turn our heads and say the law does not matter, what other laws get ignored. And then what constitutional rights slowly are being taken away because we have been complacent and do not want to stand up for what is right. It is when we say it is no big deal that the freedoms we enjoy slowly are taken away-and we do not see it till it is too late. So what I am trying to express, if we say illegal immigrants are no big deal, they do not have to follow our law and rules, then what happens next? What happens to our constitution? What happens to the USA and what is stands for? WAKE UP!!! Come live here, but do it legally. I have to follow the laws of your land follow the laws of mine.

While you are beating up on the employers, maybe you should consider their problem.

If a worker shows up with documentation, is he actually able to verify that the documentation is valid? If he says "this looks like it might be counterfeit" then he may well be accused of discrimination, and be subject to a suit.

No employer can legally employ a person without documentation; the problem is that documents are relatively easy to obtain.

If a worker shows up with documentation, does the employer actually have an easy method to determine its validity?

Real justice and fairness equals following the rules. Those who aren't willing to apply to come here and wait their turn, should not be welcomed simply because they broke the law and entered illegally.

Simply being here doesn't give them special privileges, no more than a thief has a right to money in a bank only because he sneaks in when no one sees him and just happens to "be there". It just isn't the thief's money; nor is it the illegal's country or right to be here.

Joe, how right you are.

The Swift raid of a year ago was EXACTLY this problem!

Early on Swift went the extra mile and verifying everyone's documentation. They ended up being both civily sued by some people they refused to hire and the US Dept of Justice fined them for discrimination. The fine was $250,000!

So Swift then stops going the extra mile trying to vefify that people are here legally, and simply do the E-verify program. Obviously that program doesn't work well because we see what happened next. The Feds do a raid and pick up over 1,000 people working illegally.

Danged if they do and danged if they don't.

The system is full blown brocken and thinking that we are going to solve it by having all employers double check ID is risky. Just ask Swift.

I am beginning to think that Utah needs to create its own Migrant Work card. We could control how many come into Utah with this card and if we didn't give them a card we deport'em. We do the job the Feds aren't able to, or won't consistently do.

It could be done. I'm calling my legislator about it.

question: Does ILLEGAL really mean ILLEGAL?!?!?

If ILLEGAL Aliens are given amnesty, when is my turn?

I'd like a "freebie" too!

Many Americans go to work in other countries where English isn't spoken. They make no effort to learn the language and live a pretty insular life. They find American communities there and don't send their kids to foreign schools.

Believe it or not undocumented workers often do the same here and we're enraged! Many want to come here to work and then return to their homelands. In many, many cases they stay here because getting home and back is incredibly expensive and dangerous. WE NEED A GUEST WORKER PROGRAM!!!!!

If employers currently have no method, one should be developed quickly. This problem needs to be addressed now and it needs to be addressed in a way that makes it easier to come in legally than illegally.

If "that" people have come to work hard, speak the language, pay taxes (they do, we take it from their paycheck)no criminal records, I dont see any problem after paying a good fee and making sure is ggod for our economy, but for "those" that have criminal record, dont speak english and dont want to be part of this country...go home!!!
Whos going to judge BUSH for entering or invading a country without authorization to make war?????? illegal war??? YEP

THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN MADE FOR INMIGRANTS AND BY INMIGRANTS...DONT YOU REMEMBER...OR YOUR GRAND GRAND GRAND FATHER CAME WITH VISA????NOPE

USA - When my fathers came to this country they signed in and signed paperwork that allowed them to legally enter the country. What we are talking about is illegal entry into the country.

No one that is against illegal immigration is against legal immigration. It is not a racist stance but a viewpoint that if we have laws then they should be obeyed. If you allow disobedience to one law then you have no moral ground to command obedience to other laws.

If you don't understand this then I guess you should allow people to walk into your house and take what you have without calling the police.

We desire that laws be enforced. It doesn't mean we don't treat people with respect, but it does mean that we treat people equally under the law.

my forefathers came into this country by way of ellis island. They did not sneak in, nor did they use all the social programs or welfare available to them. there wasnt any. they came here legally. they worked hard and help build this country. They did not send money back to Denmark. They were americans.
Those that hire illegals are selling this country out. All they care about is thier bottom line.

These comments just show that racism is doing very well here in Utah. "All immigrants should learn english", and "every immigrant is illegal and a child molester." Isn't it true that the only LEGAL Utahns have been treated the worst of all? Shouldn't we instead all learn Navajo or fly the Ute flag? How dare we say who can or can't be on "our" land that was taken illegally by our ancestors from those who claimed it before us. But I guess it's their fault--for being on our land before we got here right? Those who champion this way of thought used to go by names like the Klan, now they are called the "Minutemen." 60 years ago we sent all the Japanese to Topaz. Now we want to kill our economy by sending all immigrants back to their lands. 60 years ago Berlin built a wall to keep out free thought. Now our country builds a wall to keep out those who want to build a better life. It's the same racism; just now we say that we're doing it to abide by the law.

We have let illegal immigration get too far out of hand. There is not way we should grant amnesty to 20 to 30 million people (15% of Mexico's citizens). They will then "reunite" their families and within 10-20 years we will have an additional 100 to 150 million people in the USA. Where will the water and energy come from to sustain that population group? The American Dream will die and America will join the rest of Central and South America as a third world country.

to USA:
My grand grand grandfather NEVER started a gang and starting killing people, nor did he live off the state. He worked his butt of providing for his family and making this a better place. He didn't just live off the other people doing so.

This country has been made for LEGAL immigrants and by LEGAL immigrants. My family came here in the 1600's LEGALLY. The key word is LEGAL.

WE DO NOT WANT ILLEGALS HERE--GO HOME!!!
STAND IN LINE AND TAKE YOUR TURN LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!!!!! QUIT JUMPING FENCES! THERE ARE NO MORE JOBS FOR YOU!

If our teenagers where not so busy with their text messages and hanging out at the mall our illegal alien problem would be solved. We don't need illegal labor we have plenty of teens sitting around with nothing to do.

I wish Hickman would run for govenor. We would finally have a person of substance rather than just benefactors of the family fortune. He was a terrific legislator.

I don't hear any complaints from Native Americans, and WE basically made them extict.

Last week we had one of those "honest hard workng people here seeking a better life" slam into the back of our truck and then take off. The police say it is a regular occurence and that it happens all over the valley on almost a nightly basis.

Illegals without insurance, a drivers license, or any experience behind the wheel are out there turning our roads into a jungle where all of our lives are at stake. We all need to wake up and demand that our immigration laws be enforced and that doesn't mean amnesty in any form.

Call, write, and do whatever you must to demand that elected officials at all levels start sending law breakers home.

USA, my ancestors came to the US and entered this country legally to improve their lives at their own expense. They suffered and sacrificed while crossing the plains to come to Utah.

Illegal aliens enter this country to improve their lives at the expense of others - school costs, unemployment benefits, health costs, etc. The criminal element is also strong with them; go figure since they entered the country illegally to begin with.

Sanctuary cities and states should be ashamed of their supposed charity and kind heartedness. It is those polices that place an enormous burden upon the legal citizens of this country and bankrupting those same governments.

To 7:40

Now, that was quite ignorant. We also have laws nowadays, and this is not 200 years ago. Stop fighting with laws, and pack your bags and leave. Thank you.

Although I consider myself "conservative," I think the Sutherland Institute is dead wrong on this issue. They appear to believe "the market" is some sort of god that will solve all our problems. I generally believe in free markets. However, markets and money are not the only things that make a good society. The rule of law, social cohesion, honesty, and morality also are important. There is more to life than "the bottom line"!

I think your own country is selling your own people sending all jobs overseas for less money!!!

These illegal peoples are more than 30 MILLIONS!!! this problem have more than 10 or 15 years!!! they are a country inside US, we need to take the good ones and help them to get all papers in order, and bad ones to go back!!!

When my ancestors [pioneers] came to "Utah" it was still Mexico territory. They did not come in legally nor did they learn Spanish. But future settlers did eventually kick out all others who were here first (Indians/Mexicans). Take a history lesson people--we're doing it all over again. How dare other immigrants do what we have historically done time and time again.

Speak the language, stop stealing our identities, stop the crime, play by our rules, get inline to enter the country.

Welcome!

Utah needs to take action that our federal government has failed to do. All Illegals should be rounded up and sent back to where they came from. Only full-time enrolled students and "short term (less than 6 months at a time)" workers should be allowed in the US without becoming citizens. Anyone who legally comes here to "stay" must become tax-paying, law abiding citizens.

All public services should be offered in English only. We could learn a lot from India on this matter. A country with over 400 languages and dialects, but all state business is in English only. No services other than life saving medical care should be given to anyone who is not a citizen. Get rid of the free welfare, schooling, health care, subsidized breakfast/lunch programs, etc.

If anyone expects to stay in the USA, become a citizen and set your heart and dedication to the United States. Immigrants who established this country did just that. Many immigrants today, do not. and they should be sent back!

Unless we make these changes, the US will destroy itself from within and we'll all stand here crying wondering how we lost our country.

I live in Southern California, and I can tell you that the illegal people here have more rights than the citizens of the U.S.! We can't do a thing about it. Something is wrong.

If our hollow brained law makers can't come up with a solution to the immigration problem, throwing the enforcement back onto employers does not make any sense at all. Has anyone ever considered what would happen to Utah's economy if we didn't have these people here? Yes, there are a few who ruin it for the rest, but in general we have some very good people here.

Most of the illegal immigrants I know tried to come here legally. They were denied a visa, some of them multiple times. Often it's about who you know if you are able to get a visa to come to the US. So when a poor father looks at his starving family, tries to get a visa because he can't find a job in his own country, and is denied, he makes the decision to come here anyway. I am not in favor of illegal immigration because it causes way too many problems. If we're so afraid of undocumented workers, why don't we make it easier for them to be documente? After all, they just want a job, right? So start a guest worker program, give them a card that allows them to work with their own identity, and make them pay taxes.

Listed below are the steps we need to take to stop illegal immigration:

1. Make entering the country legally easier than entering illegally. Give the visitor a picture id card after their identity is verified by their home country's government. On that card will be visa information and permissions of what that person may do in this country and the dates of their stay.
2. Make a national I.D. card which is required to obtain employment, open bank accounts, apply for credit, buy a bus pass, purchase a vehicle, etc. (we already have a social security #. Employers and businesses just check the I.D. card against a national database)
3. Require visitors to this country to check in to the INS every month or so by going online to verify their location and activities.