Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Matt Throckmorton, who twice sought to wrest the 3rd District GOP nomination from Rep. Chris Cannon in campaigns focused on immigration issues, has been picked by Cannon to head an immigration advisory committee.
"There are no two ways about it; illegal immigration is a problem that must be addressed," Cannon said Monday. "But the only way we're going to solve it is to have a frank and open discussion among all sides."
Cannon said the committee will include representatives of the governor's office, the Salt Lake Catholic Diocese, Intermountain Health Care, Associated Builders and Contractors, the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, immigration lawyers and others with a stake in the debate.
In 2004, Throckmorton's campaign to unseat Cannon had criticized Cannon's bill that would have allowed some undocumented agricultural workers to apply for temporary visas and, eventually, obtain permanent residency.
Throckmorton once led Utahns for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, which lobbied the 2004 Legislature for laws that would prohibit illegal immigrants from obtaining drivers' licenses and require they pay nonresident college tuition, and he accused Cannon of throwing mud and attempting to paint UFIRE as racist.
Throckmorton said his participation in the committee is not endorsing Cannon, but he is encouraged by Cannon's commitment to open a dialogue.
Throckmorton said members of the diverse group likely will disagree on many issues but he hopes they will be able to identify commonly held principles and work from there.
Alex Segura, director of the Utah Minuteman Project, suspected forming the advisory committee was a political move by Cannon but said there was a need for dialogue on the issue.
"At least the discussion is beginning to come forward," Segura said. "We need people to stop coming here illegally and get to the bottom of what the crime issues are."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
