Bad immigration proposals
One of the latest of these is a bill sponsored by Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, which would instruct the state Department of Public Safety to make an agreement with the federal Department of Homeland Security, allowing some local police officers to act as immigration agents.
The idea is that local officers who make traffic stops or investigate some other crime also could enforce federal law by arresting people who have no documents proving citizenship. Unfortunately, this would be a recipe for disaster.
It's worth mentioning that, until a little more than six years ago, federal agents routinely went with some Salt Lake City police officers on bike patrols. Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson put an end to that practice after hearing concerns about how it was leading to a spirit of mistrust between police and members of the Hispanic community. That move followed an earlier vote by the City Council, in September of 1998, rejecting a plan to cross-deputize Salt Lake police officers so they could do exactly what Donnelson's bill proposes.
If local police officers become federal immigration officers as well, the natural consequence would be an increase in racial profiling. Hispanics who are either legal aliens or citizens would be harassed and asked for proof of citizenship. Meanwhile, illegal aliens would be reluctant to call police when real emergencies occur, and that could be a public safety risk.
We're not sure about the motives of some lawmakers who seem fixated on this issue. Utahns do indeed have a legitimate need to rid the streets of criminals, whether here illegally or not. However, the Utah economy has need of many illegal aliens who reside here and are gainfully employed.
A federal guest-worker program would allow those workers to remain here legitimately so long as they are employed. It also would make it easier to deport those who are here committing drug crimes and other mischief. And it would build a level of trust between Hispanics and law enforcement, while assuring U.S. citizens and other documented residents that they won't be harassed merely because of the color of their skin.
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