Supporters of the Utah Immigration Compact Disrespect Veterans

By Ronald W. Mortensen on November 9, 2011

Rather than celebrating Veteran's Day and honoring the men and women who have served their nation, advocates for illegal aliens use Veteran's Day to push their amnesty agenda.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of November in 2010, community, business, political, and religious leaders who place the interests of illegal aliens ahead of those of the United States used Veterans Day to launch the so-called Utah Compact.

The Utah Compact was developed specifically to push the amnesty agenda although it never mentions illegal immigration. The Compact was carefully crafted to give the impression that those signing it are simply stating their support for "immigration." However, the authors of the document and the primary signers strongly support amnesty for all illegal aliens.

As former Arizona State Sen. Karen Johnson wrote: "Pretending that the 'Utah Solution' was something new, unique, and more compassionate than previous attempts at immigration reform, they put it in a pretty new package, slapped a brand-new label on it, and took it on tour, trying to foist it off on other states and Congress. But despite the new packaging, it's still all about amnesty. And the vaunted diversity of the Utah Compact is a sham."

A few months after the Utah Compact was signed, Utah State Sen. Curtis Bramble took on the task of successfully turning it into legislation, thereby earning himself the title of Senator Bramnesty. On February 24, 2011, a headline in the Provo Herald which appears to be Senator Bramnesty's personal public relations outlet, read: "Sen. Bramble crafting 'Utah Compact Bill' on immigration."

The Utah Compact bill rapidly became known as Bramnesty because, in accordance with the intent of the Utah Compact, it grants guest worker status to all illegal aliens who ever resided in Utah prior to May 10, 2011. This is in direct opposition to the position held by America's veterans who resolutely and unconditionally oppose illegal immigration and amnesty in all forms.

According to the American Legion's official policy on illegal immigration:

The American Legion is opposed to any policy that would give illegal immigrants legal permission to remain in the United States, whether such a policy is referred to as "legalization," "regularization," "a guest worker program," "earned status adjustment," or "earned access."


The Veterans of Foreign Wars website states that "Illegal immigration is a monumental threat to our homeland security."

Yet, despite the veterans' clear opposition to illegal immigration and amnesty, the Utah Compact crowd did not hesitate to launch this amnesty sham on Veteran's Day. Not only did they ignore the veterans' position on illegal immigration but they showed exceptional disrespect for veterans by usurping their day in order to push an amnesty agenda and they further rubbed salt in the wound by scheduling the signing of the Compact on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

The mean-spirited and unpatriotic actions of the Utah Compact crowd are disgraceful. They should be ashamed of their actions and they should use this Veteran's Day to apologize to all veterans – but they aren't and they won't.