Lawmaker concerned about increase of illegal immigrants

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Updated: 4/29/2010 7:00 am | Published: 4/27/2010 6:05 pm

Reported by: Robert Walz

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(ABC 4 News)

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A local lawmaker claims the new Arizona immigration law will bring a flood of illegal immigrants to Utah. He plans to push for a similar law in Utah to prevent a mass drain on the state's educational system and an increase in crime.

Representative Stephen Sandstrom claims the state of Utah needs to take quick action to prevent illegal immigrants who don’t like the Arizona law from fleeing north to Utah.

"So all we are really doing is enforcing federal law at a state level," said Representative Sandstrom (R-Orem).

Nearly 6 million people of Hispanic origin currently live in Arizona and many don't like the new law that allows police officers to identify illegal immigrants. Representative Sandstrom predicts that many illegals will vote with their feet and leave Arizona in droves.

"Utah is the state of choice, to move out of Arizona and come to Utah,” Representative Sandstrom said, “because we have pretty lax laws when it comes to illegal immigration."

Sandstrom said the state spends about $52-million a year educating the children of illegal immigrants and that a mass in migration would bring a wave of criminal activity.

"This is not the cream of the crop of people we would want in our state from other countries," Sandstrom said.

But Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank doesn't like the Arizona law and does not want Utah police officers to take on the responsibility of immigration enforcement.

“It is unconstitutional for law enforcement officers to profile based on race,” Burbank said.” That is racism."

Talk of adopting Arizona's immigration law has already sent a panic through Utah’s Latin community, bringing more distrust of law enforcement.

"If there is a crime in the Latin community, they are not going to call law enforcement.” said Tony Yapias from the Utah Latino Council. “They will be the last ones they will call. They will not cooperate with them."

Representative Sandstrom said he's spoken to many of his colleagues in the House of Representatives who support expanding the role of Utah law enforcement in illegal immigration identification and he thinks the bill will pass in the next legislative session.

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botdriver - 4/30/2010 6:18 AM

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We need to make all that are illegaly here in the United States understand; THIS IS NOT MEXICO,CHINA, GERMANY, RUSSIA, ETC, this is the United States of America, but the main problem seems to be Illegal Mexican Nationals,flowing across thinking that we owe them or are owed something. You are OWED NOTHING. You lost the Mexican Americam war, and all the rest of the western states and thats California as well. Now that that is straightened out,that imaginery line that starts at the pacific ocean and goes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico that is the border, it is a boundary line that seperates our 2 nations.Now I am sure that you have a President and a Congress there,and if things are that damn bad there you should be slamming your nations lawmakers and forcing them to make changes to your country, as they do in the United States.I know that you know what laws are, because when immigration come to raid business's you run so that you will not be deported, so hence when you stepped over that imaginary line called the BORDER, you became a fugitive of this nation,so you know when the label illegal is pointed to you, you know that you have broken the law.That goes for us if we break your laws there your police make no holds barred to slap us in your sh*ty jails and make us pay for our spot to sleep in or pay for a blanket to keep warm or pay for food to eat.So you think its unfair how we treat you when we catch you and are in our clean jails getting 3 hots and a cot and a pillow and blanket and clean sheets to sleep on are you really going to tell the AMERICAN people who pay the taxes that live here that you are stupid and don't know that you have broken the laws in this country,then I guess you need a rude awakening. Even though this nation was made from immigrants, our fore fathers developed and fought for every yard to gain it.Understandable though the true American the indian took most of it to there graves. so don't tell the American people your dumb, we know better.

botdriver - 4/30/2010 6:12 AM

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We need to make all that are illegaly here in the United States understand; THIS IS NOT MEXICO,CHINA, GERMANY, RUSSIA, ETC, this is the United States of America, but the main problem seems to be Illegal Mexican Nationals, flowing across thinking that we owe them or are owed something. You are OWED NOTHING. You lost the Spanish Americam war, and all the rest of the western states and thats California as well. Now that that is straightened out,that imaginery line that starts at the pacific ocean and goes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico that is the border, it is a boundary line that seperates our 2 nations.Now I am sure that you have a President and a Congress there,and if things are that damn bad there you should be slamming your nations lawmakers and forcing them to make changes to your country, as they do in the United States.I know that you know what laws are, because when immigration come to raid business's you run so that you will not be deported, so hence when you stepped over that imaginary line called the BORDER, you became a fugitive of this nation,so you know when the label illegal is pointed to you, you know that you have broken the law.That goes for us if we break your laws there your police make no holds barred to slap us in your sh*ty jails and make us pay for our spot to sleep in or pay for a blanket to keep warm or pay for food to eat.So you think its unfair how we treat you when we catch you and are in our clean jails getting 3 hots and a cot and a pillow and blanket and clean sheets to sleep on are you really going to tell the AMERICAN people who pay the taxes that live here that you are stupid and don't know that you have broken the laws in this country,then I guess you need a rude awakening. Even though this nation was made from immigrants, our fore fathers developed and fought for every yard to gain it.Understandable though the true American the indian took most of it to there graves. so don't tell the American people your dumb, we know better.

Casca - 4/28/2010 5:20 PM

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BOYCOTT THOSE WHO BOYCOTT ARIZONA. Even our National Security is a risk because nothing is done to enforce the border. They never built the double-layer fence. Patriots are not alone? We will not be dictated to by any pro-Amnesty group. You have thousands of friends, but we need to unite in this common cause. Talk to your relatives. We can no longer be a HMO or free welfare handouts to the world. You may not want to demonstrate in the streets, because of violence from the other side.We are civilized so we don't throw frozen soda cans at the opponents. But you can join (without any cost or danger to your personal information) by standing firm with NumbersUSA. Google the address and sign up, to be alerted to all Washington inside emergencies. As one massive organized group we can stop this encroachment by 20 to 30 million foreign nationals into our jobs, destroying our culture. You will called ugly names to distract you, so you keep your real thoughts hidden in the shadows. But we must stop this as millions more will come—and keep on coming in the form of chain migration. NOTHING will stop this invasion unless we as one voice of one people say—ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Instant Citizenship for a baby of an illegal parent or parents must be rescinded. This is our country, our flag, our language and our constitution that gives us the right to free speech, that Liberals would deny us. Teach yourself who your enemy is at NumbersUSA in both parties and who must be removed in coming elections.

Gallardo - 4/28/2010 1:54 PM

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Many hispanics that I know have much better work ethics,love for their families that make them a great asset in any community. I don't think that individuals like this so called "lawmaker" understand that when you are sowing injustice anywhere you will reap injustice everywhere,I wish this gentleman muster the courage to fight other maladies that affect our communities like the drug comsumption at all levels and unwanted pregnancies in the schools.Equal Opportunity for all is the goal Mr.Lawmaker.

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