Utah’s Immigration Law Moves Along

March 4, 2008

Utah’s immigration bill took a big step toward enactment yesterday. The question that will ultimately be resolved in the courts is whether several provisions will pass constitutional muster under the preemption doctrine and since the U.S. Congress has plenary power over immigration.

Jennifer W. Sanchez writes in The Salt Lake Tribune:

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is expected to sign a comprehensive immigration bill if no more major changes are made to it. After making amendments to the proposal, the House approved the bill in a veto-proof 56-15 vote on Monday. Only three Democrats – Reps. Janice Fisher, Karen Morgan and LaWanna Shurtliff – out of 20 in the House supported the measure.
SB81 would allow police officers to enforce immigration law and force some employers to verify that their workers can legally work in the United States. It now returns to the Senate – where it passed by a veto-proof margin last week – for approval of the House amendments.
Lisa Roskelley, a spokeswoman for Huntsman, said the governor thinks SB81 can be a “helpful” piece of legislation, especially since it would not go into effect until July 2009.
The bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Michael Noel, R-Kanab, told lawmakers during Monday’s debate that the bill has nothing to do with racism or prejudices against people. He said it’s about respecting the rule of law and welcoming only those who come to Utah legally.
“The time is right, and it’s time we pass an illegal immigration law in Utah,” he said. “We have strong
Bill opponents said they are concerned about racial profiling and that the proposed law will make victims fearful of reporting crimes.
Also on Monday, the Senate approved a bill that would put stronger restrictions on the driving privilege card for mostly undocumented immigrants.
HB171 would prohibit people who sell alcoholic beverages from accepting the driving card as evidence of a person’s age and firearms dealers from accepting the driving card as a form of identification. It would also require the Driver License Division to suspend a driving card if a person’s vehicle registration is revoked.
An estimated 100,000 undocumented immigrants live in Utah. Click here for the rest of the story.