Utah was carefully chosen by the pro-illegal alien amnesty movement, including the government of Mexico, to serve as the jumping-off point for another national amnesty.
In 2011, the pro-amnesty movement implemented a hostile takeover of Utah, beginning with the disingenuous Utah Compact and following up with the passage of HB116, Utah's guestworker program. Both the compact and the guestworker programs are described by amnesty advocates as models for the nation.
A unique set of factors makes Utah the perfect state for the development of pro-illegal alien initiatives. First, It has a sizeable agricultural industry that relies heavily on illegal aliens, while at the same time exercising considerable power in the state legislature. Second, the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce exercises inordinate influence on the governor and the legislature. Third, many of Utah's senior officials are leaders in the pro-illegal alien movement. Fourth, Utah has a predominant religion that is more than willing to sacrifice Utah for the good of its growing international interests. Finally, Utah is arguably the reddest of the red states and by getting Utah to accept amnesty the pro-illegal alien movement can more effectively influence other conservative states.
On the business front, the pro-illegal immigration Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and a number of its front organizations such as Prosperity 2020, the United Way, Education First, etc., exercise tremendous political power in Utah. In addition, the Salt Lake Chamber is able to control the many smaller Chambers of Commerce throughout the state and use them to support its pro-illegal alien agenda.
Many of Utah's senior government leaders and officials work openly to protect illegal aliens and to ensure that they are allowed to remain in the United States.
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Utah's self-proclaimed chief law enforcement officer, is a leading advocate and protector of illegal aliens both in Utah and nationwide.
Shurtleff is actively advocating and working for the implementation of far-reaching federal prosecutorial discretion that will allow illegal aliens and their employers in Utah to carry out their activities without fear of investigation, arrest, prosecution, and in the case of the illegal aliens, deportation. His support of illegal aliens is so strong that he willingly sacrifices a generation of American children for the benefit of people who use their identities in order to get jobs.
In recognition of his service to Mexico, Shurtleff received the highest award given by Mexico to a non-Mexican, the Order of the Aztec Eagle (November 2006). The award was presented to Shurtleff personally by former Mexican President Vicente Fox.
Salt Lake City Chief of Police Chris Burbank openly opposes any enforcement of immigration-related laws. He has publicly downplayed and justified both illegal alien document fraud and identity theft, which disproportionately impacts children. At a conference supporting illegal immigration, when people shouted out locations where fraudulent documents could be procured, rather than instructing his officers to take action, Chief Burbank laughed out loud, thereby sending a clear message that fraudulent document dealers are welcome in his jurisdiction.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert does whatever the Salt Lake Chamber and the Mormon Church want. He signed Utah's Illegal Alien Guest Worker Law (HB116) and he openly opposed E-Verify before now saying that he wants a strong E-Verify law passed. However, he did nothing to E-Verify legislation passed during the just-concluded legislative session, so his deathbed conversion to E-Verify seems to be nothing more than a campaign tactic.
Utah state Senator Luz Robles was closely linked to the government of Mexico while holding appointed office under Governor Jon Huntsman. Using her state position, she worked actively to defeat any legislation that would have negatively impacted illegal aliens or the interests of Mexico. As a state Senator, she continues to be a strong advocate for Mexican interests and for illegal aliens. She is employed by one of the state's major banks, which has built a lucrative business serving illegal aliens and which exercises strong influence over state politics. In addition, she is supported by the state's self-proclaimed conservative think tank, the Sutherland Institute.
Utah Senate President Michael Waddoups is considered by many to be in the pocket of the LDS Church, as is the Utah Speaker of the House, Becky Lockhart. In addition, Speaker Lockhart is closely linked to state Senator Curt Bramble and strongly influenced by him. Bramble and Lockhart were the sponsors of the bill that created Utah's driving privilege card and Bramble led the effort that resulted in Utah's guestworker bill, which earned him the title of Senator Bramnesty. Bramble travels the nation touting Utah's driving privilege card and guestworker program.
Most important of all in making Utah a national leader in the pro-illegal immigration movement is the role played by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormon Church.
Within the past two years, the Mormon Church has become one of the nation's most aggressive advocates for illegal aliens due to a combination of ongoing blackmail from Latin American governments, a desire to increase Church membership in the United States by baptizing illegal aliens, and a reinterpretation of its doctrines. In the process, it has shifted from a strong constitutional, rule-of-law position to a left-leaning, progressive, social justice position.
Utah also has an active and increasingly assertive Libertarian movement that does not believe in borders. Utah Libertarians argue that employers should be able to hire any person they wish and that foreign nationals should be able to reside and work in Utah without any restrictions whatsoever.
Utah Republican gubernatorial candidate Morgan Philpot and his supporters argue that illegal immigration is primarily driven by the availability of welfare benefits and that employment and identity theft are symptoms of the problem, not the cause. As such, Philpot opposes E-Verify, which would protect children from the serious harm caused by illegal alien identity theft.
The combination of agriculture, business, political, and religious interests that support illegal immigration and illegal aliens has, therefore, made Utah the leader in the effort to protect illegal aliens until amnesty can be enacted by Congress.
It is no coincidence that the Utah Compact and the Utah Guest Worker Program both came from Utah and that both are now being exported to other states. Nor is it a coincidence Arizona state Senator Russell Pearce, a Mormon, was recalled and replaced by a more moderate Mormon who supports his church's position on illegal immigration.
Therefore, it is important to understand what Utah is doing to bring about amnesty, because what happens in Utah does not stay in Utah when it comes to illegal immigration.
