Priorities, Resources and Immigration
By Jon Greiner
Utah State Senator and Ogden City Police Chief
As I sit at my desk today, I am reviewing in my mind the long and protracted process the decision by the federal judge in Arizona is going to take in determining the constitutionality of their immigration law going forward.
I know as a legislator that several states have already gone down this road and passed laws, some laws very similar to what Utah did with SB-81, and some very similar to the Arizona one. Most notably, Rhode Island, Missouri, and Virginia.
A call this morning to one of Ogden’s neighborhoods deals with a beaten child. A child so beaten that the child was life flighted to Salt Lake. The family of the child speaks no English, but fortunately the family knowing for whatever reason that law enforcement is here to help, called anyway. It may be because they trust us, law enforcement, to treat victims as victims and deal differently with criminals in our community. Everyone responds differently to this situation of dealing with law enforcement, even citizens.
I also note another incident in our community, this week, involving the I.R.S.. Now I know that may seem strange but local law enforcement does work with our federal counterparts virtually every day on some overlapping issues, at least most of us do. In this incident some identification was stolen in Tucson, Arizona awhile ago. In that theft some identification was stolen and used to obtain identification in the State of Utah. The I.R.S. was coming after the victim, in Arizona, of the original theft for unpaid taxes on earned income in Utah. A lot of time and effort was associated with dealing with this issue for the victim and the IRS.. Now the suspect, who now was working for a major northern Utah company with a number of employees was asked for her true identification. During the ensuing investigation the suspect admitted to being in this country illegally and still had the original identification from the Arizona victim.
Contacts and investigation by Ogden’s PD included the I.R.S., the Utah State Division of Workforce Services, the Arizona agencies, the current Utah employer and finally the federal I.C.E. officers for an immigration hold. The point being that there may be more time, effort, and resources spent on the theft of identity than the beating of the child.
Governor Herbert is doing the right things, right now, on this issue. The issue is not unique to Utah but Utah can find a Utah remedy. It is in everyone’s best interest to do so .
We have the same issues here in Nebraska. Federal investigations often overshadow local issues – which is a shame – but I agree, Herbert is being proactive in his role.
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I THINK ROBLES SHOULD BE REPLACED. ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE VOTED FOR WHO PROMISED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT ILLEAGAL IMMAGRATION BUT AS USUALL SAT ON THEIR BUTTS, OVER PAID BUTTS MY I ADD, AND DID NOTHING. UNTIL SOMEONE ELSE DID THEN CALL THEM RACISIST AND BIGGOTS. IT’S TIME WE VOTED THESE PEOPLE OUT WHO HAVE BEEN IN OVER 4 YEARS. AND NOT LET ANYONE STAY IN OVER 8. THEY ARE TO CONTENT AS WE ARE. EITHER HELP SANDSTROM DO HIS JOB SEN. ROBLES OR CLOSE YOUR MOUTH AND LET HIM DO HIS. I HAD A FRIEND IN THE 70′S WHO WAS PARALYZED FROM THE NECK DOWN WHEN 4 MEXICANS WHO WERE DRUNK HIT HIM. 7 KIDS AND A WIFE. THEY WERE DEPORTED. BIG FLIPPING DEAL. HE WAS IN HIS EARLY 30′S AND A CARPENTER. IN A WHEEL CHAIR FOR LIFE.