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SALT LAKE CITY -- With Utah lawmakers looking at as many as two dozen immigration bills this year, any sort of agreement between Republican and Democrats will be hard to come by.
Talk lately has centered on an omnibus bill combining the best ideas into a package that both sides of the aisle could get behind. But Rep. Brian King, D-Salt Lake, doesn't see that happening in the GOP-controlled Legislature.
"I would be shocked if there were any consensus that came out of this session on how to deal with immigration," he said.
King participated in a panel discussion on illegal immigration Saturday hosted by the Women's Democratic Club of Utah. Other participants were Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake, attorney Mark Alvarez and University of Utah political science professor Claudio Holzner.
I would be shocked if there were any consensus that came out of this session on how to deal with immigration.
–Rep. Brian King
So far, proposals floated by Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, and Robles have drawn the most attention heading into the Utah Legislature's Jan. 24 start date. Sandstrom's bill Arizona-style approach emphasizes law enforcement and punishment. Robles' bill centers on accountability and state-issued work permits.
While Alvarez said he "abhors" Sandstrom's plan, Robles' proposed work permits will never receive the federal approval necessary to make them a reality.
"It's borderline dishonest because it's not possible," he said.
"I don't think we should use the horrors of the Sandstrom proposal to propose something that in a sense gives people some hope because it's false hope. Let's makes sure that in discussing immigration issues we don't give false hope to people who are looking for any hope because I tell you what, they're going to get swindled."
Alvarez has long been an advocated for fixing the immigration system at the federal level.
If the problem is illegal immigration, the solution is simple: legalize them.
–Claudio Holzner
Holzner said it's important to understand what make current immigration policies a failure. People need to ask themselves if the problem is immigration or illegal immigration.
"In the United States, the debate is about illegal immigration. But it too often sounds like it's about immigrants, about whether or not we want foreigners in this country. So the first step is to decide for ourselves where we stand on the immigrations issue, not the illegal immigration issue," he said.
"If the problem is illegal immigration, the solution is simple: legalize them," Holzner said to applause and cheers in the heavily Democratic crowd.
While does not favor an open-door policy, he said the government should make it easier for people to immigrate legally to fill the nation's great demand for jobs in its dynamic economy.
Alvarez noted how polarized the illegal immigration debate has become.
"On one side we have people screaming illegal. On the other side to respond the accusation is racist," he said. "When do sensible people get heard on this issue?"
Robles said that her bill may not provide all the solutions to illegal immigration, it has succeeded in moving the discussion away from the punitive Arizona-style approach. Ultimately, she said, 104 Utah legislators will determine Utah's direction.
And whatever lawmakers decide, King said he hopes emotion can be removed from the debate.
"Let's discuss this in a meaningful way based on fact as opposed to stories, anecdotes, supposition, fantasy or ideology," he said. "That's the challenge we'll have in the upcoming session."
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