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Tonya Papanikolas reporting A legislative task force was assigned to look into illegal immigration in Utah before a comprehensive Senate bill takes effect next year.
Today the task force held its first hearing, not for the public but to help inform members of the task force.
This task force will hold hearings through the fall. In the next few months, it will hear different peoples' opinions on immigration, from economists to business leaders. Today it started with state and federal officials.
Rep. Brad Dee, a chairman of the task force, said, "This is an issue that's important to the state of Utah."
Eleven legislators sit on the newly-formed immigration task force. Their job is to study illegal immigration issues in Utah and eventually make policy recommendations.
"This is probably 95 percent a federal issue," Rep. Dee said. "We understand there are some things we can do and come together as a state to address this problem."
Today the task force heard from three speakers, including Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and U.S. Attorney Bret Tolman. They were there to give state and federal views on what can and can't be accomplished in Utah.
Sen. Scott Jenkins, another chairman, asked, "Well, what if we just put these folks who are criminals on a plane and ship them out?"
Shurtleff answered, "The Constitution says while they're here, they're protected by due process and other rights."
Tolman also rasied a legal point that surprised legislators.
"There is a common misperception that an individual in the state of Utah is prosecutable under a federal offense for being here illegally. That is not accurate," he said.
It's different for those who commit a crime. But Tolman told the panel illegal immigrants can only be prosecuted for being illegal in the state where they crossed the border.
Sen. John Hickman said, "A person here illegally cannot be prosecuted in the state where they are here illegally? I mean, that's nuts!"
Sen. Jenkins said, "There were several things that came out today that we had no idea."
"This was very, very important what happened today," he added.
The legislators on this task force come from different backgrounds and hold different opinions on illegal immigration. But one of the chairs told us he believes they will all come together and find a compromise on enforcing the rule of the law with compassion.
E-mail: tpapanikolas@ksl.com
