EFE
Fecha: 11/03/201
Washington, 3 nov (EFE).- Un ciudadano estadounidense de Utah fingió ser un inmigrante indocumentado tras ser detenido por tráfico de drogas, para ser deportado a México y evitar así una larga condena en prisión, informó hoy la emisora de radio local KTAR.
Jaime Alvarado, de 27 años, fue acusado el miércoles en un tribunal federal de un cargo por hacer declaraciones falsas o inconsistentes y otro por dar información personal falsa a un agente del orden, por lo que permanecerá en prisión hasta su juicio.
Tras ser detenido en febrero de 2010, Alvarado aseguró al tribunal que se llamaba Saúl Quiroz, que era mexicano y que se encontraba en el país ilegalmente, y a continuación se declaró culpable, según los documentos del caso citados por la emisora.
El tribunal refirió entonces su caso a la Oficina de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) y fue efectivamente deportado a México.
Casi un año más tarde, el pasado febrero, el hombre volvió a ser arrestado en el condado de Salt Lake, en Utah, en relación con sus antiguos cargos.
Esta vez, en cambio, Alvarado reconoció ante el juez que no se llamaba Saúl Quiroz y que "en realidad era un ciudadano estadounidense", según los documentos.
El joven pasó entonces a custodia de los agentes de ICE, quienes le refirieron de nuevo a las autoridades locales una vez comprobada su ciudadanía.
En su reunión con esos agentes, Alvarado explicó que había vuelto a entrar en Estados Unidos en abril de 2010, utilizando su pasaporte estadounidense, y que había inventado la historia "para evitar una larga sentencia a prisión".
http://feeds.univision.com/feeds/article/2011-11-03/estadounidense-finge-ser-indocumentado-para
Showing posts with label Expulsions in UT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Expulsions in UT. Show all posts
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Aspiring Pastor at Risk of Deportation Speaks Out for Immigrant Rights and Keeping Faith
By Ray Downs
The Christian Post
October 06, 2011
On his way to Lafayette, La., 19-year-old David Morales believed he was going to attend bible college, where he would learn the word of God and become a pastor. It was his dream. In many ways, it was the American dream, but before he even made it to his destination, David experienced a nightmare at the hands of immigration officials.
Morales came from a family of modest means, being the first in his family to graduate high school. Now, he believed, he was going to be the first one to attend college. That all changed when his bus was stopped, immigration officials came aboard, and asked David a single question:
"Are you an American citizen?"
After admitting that he was not a citizen, Morales was arrested and spent 17 days in jail before his family posted a $4,000 bond, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. He is now in the trial process and at risk of being deported to Mexico, a country he vaguely remembers and has few remaining ties to.
Morales was not born in the United States, but you would not guess that by talking to him. His family brought him to Utah from Mexico when he was 9 years old and was soon speaking more English than Spanish. He did well in school, kept out of trouble, and volunteered in his community, both as a fundraiser for homeless teenagers and as a Spanish interpreter during parent-teacher conferences at his local elementary school.
It could be said that David was a "model citizen" – and that is why, facing the threat of deportation, David has become the epitome of why supporters of the DREAM Act, which creates legal methods for undocumented immigrants to attain legal status, are still fighting to get the legislation passed, despite being struck down in December last year.
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act hopes to give children who were brought illegally into the U.S. by their parents a "second chance" of sorts if they have shown to abide by a list of restrictions:
• Arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16
• Have proof of being in the country for at least five years
• Graduated from an American high school, obtained a GED, or has been admitted to an institute of higher education
• Be between the ages of 12 and 30 at the time of the bill's enactment
• Have registered with the Selective Service if male
• Be of "good, moral character" (a legal definition that essentially means one is not a criminal or troublemaker)
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, people who know Morales say he fits the requirements perfectly.
"David is one of those kids you don't want to lose," said Erik Contreras, co-chairman of the Utah Latino Legislative Task Force and a Morales family friend. "He is a role model. He is the kind of kid we need involved in our community."
Michele Callahan, Morales' high school principal, agreed.
"He was very unique for a kid this age. He was always thinking of others rather than himself. Everybody loved him," she said. "I hope for a good outcome for him. I know he had big plans."
However, with immigration being one of the country's hottest issues, there are people who say that despite the "good, moral character" of Morales, illegal immigration needs to be stopped.
"It's unfair at a personal level for Mister Morales to have to face a situation like that," Eli Cawley, president of the Utah Minuteman Project, told the Salt Lake Tribune. "But then again, life isn't fair. If you want fair, you join the Girl Scouts. There are lots of situations where children have to accept the unfair [circumstance] that is foisted on them by their parents."
Some have even said that the country's move towards stricter immigration laws, such as the recent Alabama legislation that has caused many Hispanic people to leave the state, according to an article on the conservative blog, Daily Caller. The Daily Caller also reports that hiring is up in one Alabama county because so many undocumented workers have left, causing job openings for legal residents.
"It is amazing to see the effects," said Chuck Ellis, a member of the city council in Albertville, Ala. "A large proportion of the illegal Hispanic community has moved … self-deportation is a real thing."
Ellis added that unemployment dropped from 9.5 percent to 9.3 percent over the last few weeks.
A .20 percent decrease is not an impressive number, and possibly unrelated to the Alabama immigration law – especially since so many of those who left were undocumented, meaning their jobs were not officially registered. However, in a time of mass unemployment, some will say that any decrease is significant.
Of course, human beings are more than decimal point figures, and mass desertions have much more of an effect on an area than a few job openings.
In Cullman, Ala., area businessman Bobby Noles said he would be losing money from so many Hispanic people leaving the area, according to the Cullman Times.
"I'll be losing about $4,000 a month in rent," Noles said. "Even if you try to explain that they can stay, they're nervous and don't fully understand the law. They believe there's something that could happen to cause them trouble."
In addition, Noles said that although undocumented workers do not officially pay income taxes, employers are able to legally deduct taxes from their books. Area businesses also benefit from having more people buying more products.
"You also have to think of the huge impact they’ve had on our economy when they arrived here," Noles was quoted as saying in the Cullman Times. "They buy gas, pay rent, buy groceries and a lot of other things. Sure they send money home, but they have to live while they’re here and they spend a lot of money to do that."
They also attend church.
Bishop William Willimon, of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, told The Christian Post Sept. 29 that when Republican Gov. Robert Bentley signed the bill into law in June, the impact was felt immediately in some churches.
"We were concerned. The minute the law was passed I started hearing from pastors," Willimon said.
"One of our congregations, the Sunday after this was passed, had a 50 percent drop in attendance," he said.
And then there is David Morales. Caught in the middle of the whirlwind of immigration legislation, the 19-year-old is currently living in Utah and awaiting his Dec. 8 trial, which will determine whether or not he can stay in the country where his family lives on a working permit good for one year, Morales told CP today. After that, he will have to keep re-applying for one-year permits in order to be in the U.S. legally until he is eligible for American citizenship.
If he is denied the working permit, Morales will ask to leave the U.S. voluntarily in order to avoid being deported, which will mean he will have to wait at least ten years before being allowed back in the country.
The setbacks have forced Morales to put his Bible college plans on hold for the time being. Oval Bible College in Louisiana does not accept undocumented students and Utah-area Bible colleges are reluctant to accept him due to his recent media exposure, Morales said.
Such is the bureaucratic process for Mexico-born, American-raised teenager who wants to be a pastor.
However, despite the setbacks, Morales has turned the negatives into a positive. He is currently attending his first semester at Salt Lake Community College and considering majoring in Sociology. He has also become heavily involved in the movement to get the DREAM Act passed by speaking out at schools and churches.
At a rally in Salt Lake City last month, Morales spoke to DREAM supporters about his and many others' experiences with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), KSL.com reported.
"What ICE is doing is wrong," he told the crowd. "What I had to go through was wrong. (It is) wrong for any hardworking American to live through what I went through."
But Morales and other DREAMers, as they like to be called, are getting their voices heard.
"Many are rising out of the shadows and raising their voices and saying we will no longer stand in silence," Morales said. "We are undocumented, unafraid and unapologetic."
"In a way, I'm glad I went to jail because I have been able to meet so many DREAMers," he told CP, adding that he has been able to assist many immigrants who do not know where to go or are just too afraid to find out.
"People who are afraid to talk, I can be a voice for them," he added.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration is expected to deport nearly half-a-million undocumented people this year – the most ever in a single year, the AFP reported. But Morales, who has not given up his dreams of attending Bible college to become a pastor, believes people should continue living their lives and not let the fear of deportation prevent them from living their lives or attending church.
"I don't think people should be afraid. If God brought us here to this country, it's for a reason," Morales said. "God has control over everything, so people should not be afraid of congregating…but we should pray."
Morales' optimism and faith leads him to believe that the legal threats undocumented people are facing will soon end.
"Something has to happen. This can't go on forever. We're not sitting still."
http://global.christianpost.com/news/aspiring-pastor-at-risk-of-deportation-speaks-out-for-immigrant-rights-and-keeping-faith-57505/
The Christian Post
October 06, 2011
On his way to Lafayette, La., 19-year-old David Morales believed he was going to attend bible college, where he would learn the word of God and become a pastor. It was his dream. In many ways, it was the American dream, but before he even made it to his destination, David experienced a nightmare at the hands of immigration officials.
Morales came from a family of modest means, being the first in his family to graduate high school. Now, he believed, he was going to be the first one to attend college. That all changed when his bus was stopped, immigration officials came aboard, and asked David a single question:
"Are you an American citizen?"
After admitting that he was not a citizen, Morales was arrested and spent 17 days in jail before his family posted a $4,000 bond, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. He is now in the trial process and at risk of being deported to Mexico, a country he vaguely remembers and has few remaining ties to.
Morales was not born in the United States, but you would not guess that by talking to him. His family brought him to Utah from Mexico when he was 9 years old and was soon speaking more English than Spanish. He did well in school, kept out of trouble, and volunteered in his community, both as a fundraiser for homeless teenagers and as a Spanish interpreter during parent-teacher conferences at his local elementary school.
It could be said that David was a "model citizen" – and that is why, facing the threat of deportation, David has become the epitome of why supporters of the DREAM Act, which creates legal methods for undocumented immigrants to attain legal status, are still fighting to get the legislation passed, despite being struck down in December last year.
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act hopes to give children who were brought illegally into the U.S. by their parents a "second chance" of sorts if they have shown to abide by a list of restrictions:
• Arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16
• Have proof of being in the country for at least five years
• Graduated from an American high school, obtained a GED, or has been admitted to an institute of higher education
• Be between the ages of 12 and 30 at the time of the bill's enactment
• Have registered with the Selective Service if male
• Be of "good, moral character" (a legal definition that essentially means one is not a criminal or troublemaker)
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, people who know Morales say he fits the requirements perfectly.
"David is one of those kids you don't want to lose," said Erik Contreras, co-chairman of the Utah Latino Legislative Task Force and a Morales family friend. "He is a role model. He is the kind of kid we need involved in our community."
Michele Callahan, Morales' high school principal, agreed.
"He was very unique for a kid this age. He was always thinking of others rather than himself. Everybody loved him," she said. "I hope for a good outcome for him. I know he had big plans."
However, with immigration being one of the country's hottest issues, there are people who say that despite the "good, moral character" of Morales, illegal immigration needs to be stopped.
"It's unfair at a personal level for Mister Morales to have to face a situation like that," Eli Cawley, president of the Utah Minuteman Project, told the Salt Lake Tribune. "But then again, life isn't fair. If you want fair, you join the Girl Scouts. There are lots of situations where children have to accept the unfair [circumstance] that is foisted on them by their parents."
Some have even said that the country's move towards stricter immigration laws, such as the recent Alabama legislation that has caused many Hispanic people to leave the state, according to an article on the conservative blog, Daily Caller. The Daily Caller also reports that hiring is up in one Alabama county because so many undocumented workers have left, causing job openings for legal residents.
"It is amazing to see the effects," said Chuck Ellis, a member of the city council in Albertville, Ala. "A large proportion of the illegal Hispanic community has moved … self-deportation is a real thing."
Ellis added that unemployment dropped from 9.5 percent to 9.3 percent over the last few weeks.
A .20 percent decrease is not an impressive number, and possibly unrelated to the Alabama immigration law – especially since so many of those who left were undocumented, meaning their jobs were not officially registered. However, in a time of mass unemployment, some will say that any decrease is significant.
Of course, human beings are more than decimal point figures, and mass desertions have much more of an effect on an area than a few job openings.
In Cullman, Ala., area businessman Bobby Noles said he would be losing money from so many Hispanic people leaving the area, according to the Cullman Times.
"I'll be losing about $4,000 a month in rent," Noles said. "Even if you try to explain that they can stay, they're nervous and don't fully understand the law. They believe there's something that could happen to cause them trouble."
In addition, Noles said that although undocumented workers do not officially pay income taxes, employers are able to legally deduct taxes from their books. Area businesses also benefit from having more people buying more products.
"You also have to think of the huge impact they’ve had on our economy when they arrived here," Noles was quoted as saying in the Cullman Times. "They buy gas, pay rent, buy groceries and a lot of other things. Sure they send money home, but they have to live while they’re here and they spend a lot of money to do that."
They also attend church.
Bishop William Willimon, of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, told The Christian Post Sept. 29 that when Republican Gov. Robert Bentley signed the bill into law in June, the impact was felt immediately in some churches.
"We were concerned. The minute the law was passed I started hearing from pastors," Willimon said.
"One of our congregations, the Sunday after this was passed, had a 50 percent drop in attendance," he said.
And then there is David Morales. Caught in the middle of the whirlwind of immigration legislation, the 19-year-old is currently living in Utah and awaiting his Dec. 8 trial, which will determine whether or not he can stay in the country where his family lives on a working permit good for one year, Morales told CP today. After that, he will have to keep re-applying for one-year permits in order to be in the U.S. legally until he is eligible for American citizenship.
If he is denied the working permit, Morales will ask to leave the U.S. voluntarily in order to avoid being deported, which will mean he will have to wait at least ten years before being allowed back in the country.
The setbacks have forced Morales to put his Bible college plans on hold for the time being. Oval Bible College in Louisiana does not accept undocumented students and Utah-area Bible colleges are reluctant to accept him due to his recent media exposure, Morales said.
Such is the bureaucratic process for Mexico-born, American-raised teenager who wants to be a pastor.
However, despite the setbacks, Morales has turned the negatives into a positive. He is currently attending his first semester at Salt Lake Community College and considering majoring in Sociology. He has also become heavily involved in the movement to get the DREAM Act passed by speaking out at schools and churches.
At a rally in Salt Lake City last month, Morales spoke to DREAM supporters about his and many others' experiences with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), KSL.com reported.
"What ICE is doing is wrong," he told the crowd. "What I had to go through was wrong. (It is) wrong for any hardworking American to live through what I went through."
But Morales and other DREAMers, as they like to be called, are getting their voices heard.
"Many are rising out of the shadows and raising their voices and saying we will no longer stand in silence," Morales said. "We are undocumented, unafraid and unapologetic."
"In a way, I'm glad I went to jail because I have been able to meet so many DREAMers," he told CP, adding that he has been able to assist many immigrants who do not know where to go or are just too afraid to find out.
"People who are afraid to talk, I can be a voice for them," he added.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration is expected to deport nearly half-a-million undocumented people this year – the most ever in a single year, the AFP reported. But Morales, who has not given up his dreams of attending Bible college to become a pastor, believes people should continue living their lives and not let the fear of deportation prevent them from living their lives or attending church.
"I don't think people should be afraid. If God brought us here to this country, it's for a reason," Morales said. "God has control over everything, so people should not be afraid of congregating…but we should pray."
Morales' optimism and faith leads him to believe that the legal threats undocumented people are facing will soon end.
"Something has to happen. This can't go on forever. We're not sitting still."
http://global.christianpost.com/news/aspiring-pastor-at-risk-of-deportation-speaks-out-for-immigrant-rights-and-keeping-faith-57505/
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Mormon-Owned Paper Stands With Immigrants
By JEREMY W. PETERS
The New York Times
September 19, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY — Joseph A. Cannon is nobody’s liberal. His résumé reads as if it belongs to a delegate to the Republican National Convention, which, incidentally, he was in 2004.
He was an official for the Environmental Protection Agency under Ronald Reagan and chairman of the Utah Republican Party. As editor of The Deseret News, he published editorials condemning deficit spending, same-sex marriage and lenient alcohol laws.
So it was something of a head-scratcher, Mr. Cannon said, when his voice mail and e-mail started filling up with messages from people calling him a “liberal freak” for the sympathetic way his paper often writes about illegal immigrants.
“You have become a dangerous newspaper, one that I am on the verge of discontinuing,” wrote one outraged reader.
The News’s push for a more liberal embrace of undocumented immigrants has led to a collision between its editorial mission and its conservative, mostly Mormon, readers. But if this issue seems to stray from the reliably conservative politics of The News, Utah’s second-largest paper behind The Salt Lake Tribune, that may be in part because it is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Hispanics are the most populous minority group in the country — and they represent a vast potential constituency for the Mormon church, which has already made considerable efforts to develop strong relations with Hispanic communities. Those efforts include, since February, a Spanish-language paper called El Observador.
“The church’s practice is to say, ‘Look, we’re not immigration agents. We care for the soul,’ ” Mr. Cannon said in an interview from his office in downtown Salt Lake City, where he can look out his window at the towering spires of the Salt Lake Temple.
Both The News and El Observador are owned by the Deseret Media Companies (pronounced DEZ-er-ET; it is named after the provisional state of Deseret founded by Mormons in the Salt Lake Valley in 1849), which also owns Utah’s largest television station, KSL, and its largest news Web site, KSL.com.
Because any editorial that appears under the Deseret Media masthead carries the unofficial imprimatur of the church in many Mormons’ eyes, Deseret editors and executives could indeed help shape opinions in the heavily Mormon state Legislature, where lawmakers are debating a zero-tolerance illegal immigration law similar to the one passed in Arizona this year.
For the time being, church leaders seem uninterested in wading into the debate by taking an official policy position, as they did by declaring support for the referendum to ban same-sex marriage in California. Rather, it has made only a benign public appeal for “careful reflection and civil discourse” on the issue. But that has hardly soothed matters.
That the main sponsor of the Arizona law, Russell Pearce, is a Mormon has not been lost on many Hispanics here. And some active Mormons said they thought that the church, through its media properties, was trying to reassure Hispanics who were suspicious that it condoned anti-immigrant attitudes.
“Some of my Latino friends have said, ‘I’m going to leave the church over this,’ ” said Tony Yapias, director of Proyecto Latino de Utah, a Latino outreach group. “My view is that this is an aggressive way for the L.D.S. church to very effectively use their media power to try to soften up the community. They’re sending a message to their members.”
Both Mr. Cannon and Deseret Media’s chief executive, Mark H. Willes, said they never sought approval from church officials on any editorial or article they ran. They said the church also never asked to see an article before it was printed, though former editors said the practice had been to fax drafts of editorials to church headquarters.
The newsroom at The Deseret News is a mix of practicing and nonpracticing Mormons and people of other religious beliefs. It is not a strictly doctrinaire environment. There is a coffee machine in the break room, despite the church’s discouragement of drinking caffeinated beverages.
But as Mr. Cannon makes clear, The Deseret News is hardly going to run something that would offend its owners.
“No one is going to write an editorial here that we thought was inconsistent with or would poke the church in the eye,” said Mr. Cannon, who this week will move on to become a special adviser to the editorial board. “That’s not going to happen.”
Themes that appear in The Deseret News’s coverage of immigration are often echoed in El Observador. Its editor, Patricia Dark, said the paper now had 7,000 subscribers who received home delivery. Subscribers pay nothing; the three-times-a-week paper is subsidized by the church.
With a staff of three full-time reporters, El Observador typically devotes two or three articles in each edition to immigration-related topics. A major theme is the effect that deportation has on families. “Terror en familias hispanas” read one recent front-page headline.
“The breaking up of families is horrific, so we want to highlight that,” said Ms. Dark. Among Mormons, whose faith teaches that the family bond should be eternally inviolate, the issue of severing families is especially resonant.
Selecting themes and story lines that will appeal to Mormon values has been one way Deseret Media has tried to shift the debate.
Last month, Mr. Willes took the highly unusual step of writing an editorial that simultaneously ran on the front pages of The News and El Observador. The editorial, accompanied in print by an image of the Statue of Liberty with its famous inscription “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” was also read by Mr. Willes on KSL, Salt Lake City’s NBC affiliate, and the KSL radio station.
“We, of all people, should be sensitive to the desire of others to provide more opportunities for themselves and their families,” Mr. Willes wrote, making a direct appeal to Mormons’ sense of their history. Like Mormons, who fled the Midwest in the mid-19th century after failing to assimilate into society, undocumented immigrants know what it is like to be outcasts, Mr. Willes said.
But those who find their positions on immigration criticized by Mr. Willes’s media companies see journalistic bias, not Mormon values, at work.
“Obviously, they’re trying to sway public opinion in a big way,” said Stephen Sandstrom, a Republican state representative who is sponsoring a bill that would create a set of strict immigration laws similar to Arizona’s. Mr. Sandstrom, a Mormon, said he was not deterred. “I do have people in e-mails saying, ‘You’d better not back down or I’ll know the church got to you.’ And I just assure them that the L.D.S. church is not directing me one way or another on this.”
The immigration issue has become intensely personal for Mr. Willes, a former publisher of The Los Angeles Times who was selected by church leaders to run Deseret Media a year and a half ago.
He has consulted lawyers to advise him on the technicalities of immigration law and convened a committee of Deseret Media editors and executives that meets to brainstorm ideas on immigration coverage. “Everywhere we looked, the problem just seemed substantially more complicated than the dialogue,” he said.
Mr. Cannon acknowledged that changing minds would be difficult, but he said he hoped at the very least to challenge readers to reflect on immigration through the teachings of their religion.
“What are the two commandments? Love God and love your neighbor,” he said. “These people are our neighbors — incontestably, by any definition, they are our neighbors.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/business/media/20deseret.html?_r=1&hp
The New York Times
September 19, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY — Joseph A. Cannon is nobody’s liberal. His résumé reads as if it belongs to a delegate to the Republican National Convention, which, incidentally, he was in 2004.
He was an official for the Environmental Protection Agency under Ronald Reagan and chairman of the Utah Republican Party. As editor of The Deseret News, he published editorials condemning deficit spending, same-sex marriage and lenient alcohol laws.
So it was something of a head-scratcher, Mr. Cannon said, when his voice mail and e-mail started filling up with messages from people calling him a “liberal freak” for the sympathetic way his paper often writes about illegal immigrants.
“You have become a dangerous newspaper, one that I am on the verge of discontinuing,” wrote one outraged reader.
The News’s push for a more liberal embrace of undocumented immigrants has led to a collision between its editorial mission and its conservative, mostly Mormon, readers. But if this issue seems to stray from the reliably conservative politics of The News, Utah’s second-largest paper behind The Salt Lake Tribune, that may be in part because it is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Hispanics are the most populous minority group in the country — and they represent a vast potential constituency for the Mormon church, which has already made considerable efforts to develop strong relations with Hispanic communities. Those efforts include, since February, a Spanish-language paper called El Observador.
“The church’s practice is to say, ‘Look, we’re not immigration agents. We care for the soul,’ ” Mr. Cannon said in an interview from his office in downtown Salt Lake City, where he can look out his window at the towering spires of the Salt Lake Temple.
Both The News and El Observador are owned by the Deseret Media Companies (pronounced DEZ-er-ET; it is named after the provisional state of Deseret founded by Mormons in the Salt Lake Valley in 1849), which also owns Utah’s largest television station, KSL, and its largest news Web site, KSL.com.
Because any editorial that appears under the Deseret Media masthead carries the unofficial imprimatur of the church in many Mormons’ eyes, Deseret editors and executives could indeed help shape opinions in the heavily Mormon state Legislature, where lawmakers are debating a zero-tolerance illegal immigration law similar to the one passed in Arizona this year.
For the time being, church leaders seem uninterested in wading into the debate by taking an official policy position, as they did by declaring support for the referendum to ban same-sex marriage in California. Rather, it has made only a benign public appeal for “careful reflection and civil discourse” on the issue. But that has hardly soothed matters.
That the main sponsor of the Arizona law, Russell Pearce, is a Mormon has not been lost on many Hispanics here. And some active Mormons said they thought that the church, through its media properties, was trying to reassure Hispanics who were suspicious that it condoned anti-immigrant attitudes.
“Some of my Latino friends have said, ‘I’m going to leave the church over this,’ ” said Tony Yapias, director of Proyecto Latino de Utah, a Latino outreach group. “My view is that this is an aggressive way for the L.D.S. church to very effectively use their media power to try to soften up the community. They’re sending a message to their members.”
Both Mr. Cannon and Deseret Media’s chief executive, Mark H. Willes, said they never sought approval from church officials on any editorial or article they ran. They said the church also never asked to see an article before it was printed, though former editors said the practice had been to fax drafts of editorials to church headquarters.
The newsroom at The Deseret News is a mix of practicing and nonpracticing Mormons and people of other religious beliefs. It is not a strictly doctrinaire environment. There is a coffee machine in the break room, despite the church’s discouragement of drinking caffeinated beverages.
But as Mr. Cannon makes clear, The Deseret News is hardly going to run something that would offend its owners.
“No one is going to write an editorial here that we thought was inconsistent with or would poke the church in the eye,” said Mr. Cannon, who this week will move on to become a special adviser to the editorial board. “That’s not going to happen.”
Themes that appear in The Deseret News’s coverage of immigration are often echoed in El Observador. Its editor, Patricia Dark, said the paper now had 7,000 subscribers who received home delivery. Subscribers pay nothing; the three-times-a-week paper is subsidized by the church.
With a staff of three full-time reporters, El Observador typically devotes two or three articles in each edition to immigration-related topics. A major theme is the effect that deportation has on families. “Terror en familias hispanas” read one recent front-page headline.
“The breaking up of families is horrific, so we want to highlight that,” said Ms. Dark. Among Mormons, whose faith teaches that the family bond should be eternally inviolate, the issue of severing families is especially resonant.
Selecting themes and story lines that will appeal to Mormon values has been one way Deseret Media has tried to shift the debate.
Last month, Mr. Willes took the highly unusual step of writing an editorial that simultaneously ran on the front pages of The News and El Observador. The editorial, accompanied in print by an image of the Statue of Liberty with its famous inscription “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” was also read by Mr. Willes on KSL, Salt Lake City’s NBC affiliate, and the KSL radio station.
“We, of all people, should be sensitive to the desire of others to provide more opportunities for themselves and their families,” Mr. Willes wrote, making a direct appeal to Mormons’ sense of their history. Like Mormons, who fled the Midwest in the mid-19th century after failing to assimilate into society, undocumented immigrants know what it is like to be outcasts, Mr. Willes said.
But those who find their positions on immigration criticized by Mr. Willes’s media companies see journalistic bias, not Mormon values, at work.
“Obviously, they’re trying to sway public opinion in a big way,” said Stephen Sandstrom, a Republican state representative who is sponsoring a bill that would create a set of strict immigration laws similar to Arizona’s. Mr. Sandstrom, a Mormon, said he was not deterred. “I do have people in e-mails saying, ‘You’d better not back down or I’ll know the church got to you.’ And I just assure them that the L.D.S. church is not directing me one way or another on this.”
The immigration issue has become intensely personal for Mr. Willes, a former publisher of The Los Angeles Times who was selected by church leaders to run Deseret Media a year and a half ago.
He has consulted lawyers to advise him on the technicalities of immigration law and convened a committee of Deseret Media editors and executives that meets to brainstorm ideas on immigration coverage. “Everywhere we looked, the problem just seemed substantially more complicated than the dialogue,” he said.
Mr. Cannon acknowledged that changing minds would be difficult, but he said he hoped at the very least to challenge readers to reflect on immigration through the teachings of their religion.
“What are the two commandments? Love God and love your neighbor,” he said. “These people are our neighbors — incontestably, by any definition, they are our neighbors.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/business/media/20deseret.html?_r=1&hp
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Immigration attorneys: Database sharing could mean more deportations
By Sheena McFarland
The Salt Lake Tribune
September 5, 2010
In 2005, legislators worked to make Utah roads safer by requiring residents without a Social Security number to obtain a state driving-privilege card, but they promised not to share personal information with police.
In 2010, legislators made minor changes to the card law for temporary-visa holders, but again they promised drivers their personal information would be protected.
In 2011, the promise may no longer hold true.
The immigration bill proposed by Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, last month would allow both local police and federal immigration officials to access the driving privilege-card database, which contains international birth certificates.
Local and federal law enforcement officials have said they are targeting only the criminal element among undocumented immigrants. But some attorneys worry the bill, if passed, would make it easier to start deportation proceedings for minor infractions.
If undocumented drivers show a driving-privilege card and respond yes when asked if they’re in the country illegally, they might be arrested on an immigration detainer. But immigration attorney Aaron Tarin says they can usually prevent deportation by keeping the admission or card from being used as evidence in court. It’s a violation of federal civil rights laws for police to ask about immigration status in an unrelated crime.
With access to the driving privilege card database, though, immigration officials could skirt the civil rights violation and quickly prove a person was born outside the country.
“This could create a much larger, quasi-legitimate list of 1,300,” said Tarin, referring to the roll of purportedly undocumented people allegedly compiled and distributed by two state workers. “This would allow law enforcement to use state resources that should be confidential.”
Civil rights attorney Brian Barnard finds the proposed law “troublesome.”
“Obviously, it’s a way to get around the civil rights violation that’s occurring. It’s a way of going in the back door instead of going in the front door,” Barnard said. “It is not the kind of provision that I think we need on the books.”
Sandstrom said the 9-0 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Muehler v. Mena indicates that asking about immigration status isn’t a violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Tarin says the Mena ruling only applied because the police had a valid search warrant at the time.
Charles Kuck, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said other questioning is only allowed in border states.
“This is what happens when you have politicians who don’t know the law,” Kuck said. “No ruling applies to traffic stops across the country. The Supreme Court has never ruled on that issue nationwide.”
Sandstrom, though, sees no problem with using information in the database to enforce immigration laws. He said that access to the database would only be allowed after someone had committed a crime and couldn’t be used to start a “witch hunt” for undocumented immigrants in the state.
Sen. John Greiner, R-Ogden, who is also the city’s police chief, says it’s a “stretch” to say that law enforcement would go through the trouble of checking something such as the card database.
“I don’t think there’s a need for the law enforcement to be in that database,” said Greiner, who supports the bill. “If immigration attorneys are worried about this happening, they’re just crying wolf.”
Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, believes the information sharing is one of many parts of the bill that could be unconstitutional.
“If his legislation gets to be implemented, you will effectively be getting rid of the driving-privilege card,” Robles said. “But do we want our entire resources dedicated toward deporting someone who was speeding?”
Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who crafted the driving privilege card law, says it wasn’t created to keep track of undocumented immigrants in the state.
“Database sharing can have some significant, unintended consequences,” Bramble said.
The card helps Department of Public Safety officials keep track of repeat DUI and speeding offenders and requires drivers to have insurance and pass a written driving test in English, he said.
“The regular Utah citizen is better served by having a lower incidence of uninsured drivers,” Bramble added.
Roger Tsai, chairman of the Utah branch of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, agrees with the merits of the driving-privilege card and worries Sandstrom’s measure could reverse those benefits.
“You take the more than 40,000 undocumented immigrants who have stepped out of the shadows and then use their information for the purpose of proving they are here illegally and starting the deportation process,” Tsai said. “That is going down a very slippery slope.”
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/50174189-90/card-immigration-database-driving.html.csp
The Salt Lake Tribune
September 5, 2010
In 2005, legislators worked to make Utah roads safer by requiring residents without a Social Security number to obtain a state driving-privilege card, but they promised not to share personal information with police.
In 2010, legislators made minor changes to the card law for temporary-visa holders, but again they promised drivers their personal information would be protected.
In 2011, the promise may no longer hold true.
The immigration bill proposed by Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, last month would allow both local police and federal immigration officials to access the driving privilege-card database, which contains international birth certificates.
Local and federal law enforcement officials have said they are targeting only the criminal element among undocumented immigrants. But some attorneys worry the bill, if passed, would make it easier to start deportation proceedings for minor infractions.
If undocumented drivers show a driving-privilege card and respond yes when asked if they’re in the country illegally, they might be arrested on an immigration detainer. But immigration attorney Aaron Tarin says they can usually prevent deportation by keeping the admission or card from being used as evidence in court. It’s a violation of federal civil rights laws for police to ask about immigration status in an unrelated crime.
With access to the driving privilege card database, though, immigration officials could skirt the civil rights violation and quickly prove a person was born outside the country.
“This could create a much larger, quasi-legitimate list of 1,300,” said Tarin, referring to the roll of purportedly undocumented people allegedly compiled and distributed by two state workers. “This would allow law enforcement to use state resources that should be confidential.”
Civil rights attorney Brian Barnard finds the proposed law “troublesome.”
“Obviously, it’s a way to get around the civil rights violation that’s occurring. It’s a way of going in the back door instead of going in the front door,” Barnard said. “It is not the kind of provision that I think we need on the books.”
Sandstrom said the 9-0 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Muehler v. Mena indicates that asking about immigration status isn’t a violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Tarin says the Mena ruling only applied because the police had a valid search warrant at the time.
Charles Kuck, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said other questioning is only allowed in border states.
“This is what happens when you have politicians who don’t know the law,” Kuck said. “No ruling applies to traffic stops across the country. The Supreme Court has never ruled on that issue nationwide.”
Sandstrom, though, sees no problem with using information in the database to enforce immigration laws. He said that access to the database would only be allowed after someone had committed a crime and couldn’t be used to start a “witch hunt” for undocumented immigrants in the state.
Sen. John Greiner, R-Ogden, who is also the city’s police chief, says it’s a “stretch” to say that law enforcement would go through the trouble of checking something such as the card database.
“I don’t think there’s a need for the law enforcement to be in that database,” said Greiner, who supports the bill. “If immigration attorneys are worried about this happening, they’re just crying wolf.”
Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, believes the information sharing is one of many parts of the bill that could be unconstitutional.
“If his legislation gets to be implemented, you will effectively be getting rid of the driving-privilege card,” Robles said. “But do we want our entire resources dedicated toward deporting someone who was speeding?”
Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who crafted the driving privilege card law, says it wasn’t created to keep track of undocumented immigrants in the state.
“Database sharing can have some significant, unintended consequences,” Bramble said.
The card helps Department of Public Safety officials keep track of repeat DUI and speeding offenders and requires drivers to have insurance and pass a written driving test in English, he said.
“The regular Utah citizen is better served by having a lower incidence of uninsured drivers,” Bramble added.
Roger Tsai, chairman of the Utah branch of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, agrees with the merits of the driving-privilege card and worries Sandstrom’s measure could reverse those benefits.
“You take the more than 40,000 undocumented immigrants who have stepped out of the shadows and then use their information for the purpose of proving they are here illegally and starting the deportation process,” Tsai said. “That is going down a very slippery slope.”
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/50174189-90/card-immigration-database-driving.html.csp
Monday, July 19, 2010
Guv: At least 2 state workers behind ‘The List’
By Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune
July 17, 2010 12:15AM
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Kristen Cox, director of the Department of Workforce Services, answered questions from reporters Friday about a list containing private data of alleged illegal immigrants living in Utah. The state has identified and placed on leave two employees from the Department of Workforce Services who accessed state data to compile the list of about 1,300 people who were purportedly in the country illegally.
Two employees with the Department of Workforce Services have been put on leave after an investigation revealed that they apparently accessed records on hundreds of Utah residents to compile a list of 1,300 names of people purportedly in the country illegally.
A handful of other DWS workers also may have been part of the effort and are the subject of an ongoing probe.
“This tactic by these rogue employees to go out and single out individuals and their families and, in some cases, falsely accusing people of an illegal status is in fact deplorable and is in fact counterproductive to the issue that ought to be the focus, which is the illegal immigration issue,” Gov. Gary Herbert said at a press conference.
The two workers were escorted from the state office building where they worked and are on administrative leave pending the completion of the full investigation, said Kristen Cox, Department of Workforce Services executive director. She said it is uncertain if their leave would be unpaid.
“We feel very confident that we have identified the core group,” she said. “The people we’ve identified certainly have strong political opinions and have frustration around the issue of immigration. ... If they want to go rogue, they need to quit the department.”
DWS spokesman David Lewis says there are a handful of other employees — somewhere between three and 10 in all — whose behavior has drawn attention and investigators plan to meet with them next week.
“The other people the investigative team will be talking to on Monday are just suspects at this time,” he said. “The data looks like they’ve accessed certain cases quite a few times. They’re in jobs where they might have a reason to access it, but we want to talk to them and find out what their story is.”
Herbert said he plans to turn the findings of the investigation over to the Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff by Monday.
Shurtleff said he has already had “initial discussions” with federal authorities and will meet with them further to determine if anyone should be prosecuted in state or federal court — or both. The release of health information could constitute federal crimes.
“We’re talking serious crimes that could rise to the level of what we would call a felony crime,” Shurtleff said of the release of data.
A group calling itself “Concerned Citizens of the United States” sent the 29-page document to news outlets and law enforcement agencies, demanding that the people on the list be immediately deported.
Herbert said there will be no state probe of the people named on the list, adding that any such investigation would be a decision of the federal government. “That’s their responsibility, not our’s.”
The list consisted of names, addresses, birth dates and phone numbers of about 1,300 people, including 201 children. It also lists places of employment, due dates for pregnant mothers and more than 30 Social Security numbers.
Under Utah law, it is a misdemeanor, punishable by six months in prison or a $1,000 fine, to release protected information; if a record-keeper steals state records it could be a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
But Herbert said it is also against federal law to violate the privacy of the information in the databases. He said that, as the case progresses, it “will lead to charges filed and a prosecution and, I believe, a conviction.”
U.S. Attorney’s spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch said the office will review the state’s case and determine what, if any, federal law enforcement agency should be involved.
“This obviously was a crime,” said state Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, “and we hope when we get more information things can be fixed.”
Workforce Services administers unemployment benefits, Medicaid, children’s health insurance and food stamps programs. Information on recipients is kept in a massive centralized database that between 1,200 and 1,400 DWS employees can access.
Cox said the department will review its database security and its policy guidance to employees.
There is a whistle-blower defense in the Utah law protecting an individual who violates the law believing he or she is exposing government corruption, and Eli Cawley, co-chairman of the Utah Minuteman Project, said that protection could apply.
“I believe whoever prepared the list is a patriot because they revealed violations of the law” committed by the immigrants, Cawley said, although he said he would not condone the publication of private information of any citizen or legal resident.
The compilation of the list appears to have been a project that spanned months. Cox said the employees didn’t merely just dump a large amount of data into a spreadsheet, but instead manually accessed records based on cases with specific characteristics over an extended period of time.
“These people involved have been very patient, they’ve been very methodical, they’ve been very deliberate,” Herbert said.
Tony Yapias, director of the advocacy group Proyecto Latino de Utah, praised the governor for his quick response and resolution to the issue.
“I think the governor took the first step today to bring back the trust,” he said.
U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said the release of confidential information is “highly disturbing.”
“I am deeply concerned about these reports, and assure the public that the U.S. Department of Labor will closely follow and work to support the investigation that has been launched by the state of Utah,” she said. “No one, regardless of race, gender or ethnic background, should fear that by applying for government benefits or programs, he or she is at risk of having personal information revealed. The unauthorized release of such information is against the law, and the perpetrators should be punished.”
http://sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/49941046-90/information-law-list-state.html.csp
The Salt Lake Tribune
July 17, 2010 12:15AM
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Kristen Cox, director of the Department of Workforce Services, answered questions from reporters Friday about a list containing private data of alleged illegal immigrants living in Utah. The state has identified and placed on leave two employees from the Department of Workforce Services who accessed state data to compile the list of about 1,300 people who were purportedly in the country illegally.
Two employees with the Department of Workforce Services have been put on leave after an investigation revealed that they apparently accessed records on hundreds of Utah residents to compile a list of 1,300 names of people purportedly in the country illegally.
A handful of other DWS workers also may have been part of the effort and are the subject of an ongoing probe.
“This tactic by these rogue employees to go out and single out individuals and their families and, in some cases, falsely accusing people of an illegal status is in fact deplorable and is in fact counterproductive to the issue that ought to be the focus, which is the illegal immigration issue,” Gov. Gary Herbert said at a press conference.
The two workers were escorted from the state office building where they worked and are on administrative leave pending the completion of the full investigation, said Kristen Cox, Department of Workforce Services executive director. She said it is uncertain if their leave would be unpaid.
“We feel very confident that we have identified the core group,” she said. “The people we’ve identified certainly have strong political opinions and have frustration around the issue of immigration. ... If they want to go rogue, they need to quit the department.”
DWS spokesman David Lewis says there are a handful of other employees — somewhere between three and 10 in all — whose behavior has drawn attention and investigators plan to meet with them next week.
“The other people the investigative team will be talking to on Monday are just suspects at this time,” he said. “The data looks like they’ve accessed certain cases quite a few times. They’re in jobs where they might have a reason to access it, but we want to talk to them and find out what their story is.”
Herbert said he plans to turn the findings of the investigation over to the Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff by Monday.
Shurtleff said he has already had “initial discussions” with federal authorities and will meet with them further to determine if anyone should be prosecuted in state or federal court — or both. The release of health information could constitute federal crimes.
“We’re talking serious crimes that could rise to the level of what we would call a felony crime,” Shurtleff said of the release of data.
A group calling itself “Concerned Citizens of the United States” sent the 29-page document to news outlets and law enforcement agencies, demanding that the people on the list be immediately deported.
Herbert said there will be no state probe of the people named on the list, adding that any such investigation would be a decision of the federal government. “That’s their responsibility, not our’s.”
The list consisted of names, addresses, birth dates and phone numbers of about 1,300 people, including 201 children. It also lists places of employment, due dates for pregnant mothers and more than 30 Social Security numbers.
Under Utah law, it is a misdemeanor, punishable by six months in prison or a $1,000 fine, to release protected information; if a record-keeper steals state records it could be a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
But Herbert said it is also against federal law to violate the privacy of the information in the databases. He said that, as the case progresses, it “will lead to charges filed and a prosecution and, I believe, a conviction.”
U.S. Attorney’s spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch said the office will review the state’s case and determine what, if any, federal law enforcement agency should be involved.
“This obviously was a crime,” said state Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, “and we hope when we get more information things can be fixed.”
Workforce Services administers unemployment benefits, Medicaid, children’s health insurance and food stamps programs. Information on recipients is kept in a massive centralized database that between 1,200 and 1,400 DWS employees can access.
Cox said the department will review its database security and its policy guidance to employees.
There is a whistle-blower defense in the Utah law protecting an individual who violates the law believing he or she is exposing government corruption, and Eli Cawley, co-chairman of the Utah Minuteman Project, said that protection could apply.
“I believe whoever prepared the list is a patriot because they revealed violations of the law” committed by the immigrants, Cawley said, although he said he would not condone the publication of private information of any citizen or legal resident.
The compilation of the list appears to have been a project that spanned months. Cox said the employees didn’t merely just dump a large amount of data into a spreadsheet, but instead manually accessed records based on cases with specific characteristics over an extended period of time.
“These people involved have been very patient, they’ve been very methodical, they’ve been very deliberate,” Herbert said.
Tony Yapias, director of the advocacy group Proyecto Latino de Utah, praised the governor for his quick response and resolution to the issue.
“I think the governor took the first step today to bring back the trust,” he said.
U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said the release of confidential information is “highly disturbing.”
“I am deeply concerned about these reports, and assure the public that the U.S. Department of Labor will closely follow and work to support the investigation that has been launched by the state of Utah,” she said. “No one, regardless of race, gender or ethnic background, should fear that by applying for government benefits or programs, he or she is at risk of having personal information revealed. The unauthorized release of such information is against the law, and the perpetrators should be punished.”
http://sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/49941046-90/information-law-list-state.html.csp
Friday, July 16, 2010
‘Immigrant’ List Sets Off Fears
By KIRK JOHNSON
The New York Times
July 14, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY — A list of 1,300 Utah residents described as illegal immigrants has sown fear among some Hispanics here, and prompted an investigation into its origins and dissemination.
Each page of the list is headed with the words “Illegal Immigrants” and each entry contains details about the individuals listed — from their address and telephone number to their date of birth and, in the case of pregnant women, their due dates. The letter was received by law enforcement and media outlets on Monday and Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Gov. Gary R. Herbert said Wednesday that an investigation was under way to see if state employees might have been involved in releasing the private information.
A memorandum accompanying the list said it was from Concerned Citizens of the United States. It urged immediate deportation proceedings against the people listed, as well as publication of their names by the news media.
The memo said an earlier version of the list had been sent to federal immigration officials in April. It promised that more names would be forthcoming, and promised authorities, “We will be listening and watching.”
“We are not violent, nor do we support violence,” the letter said.
A spokeswoman for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that the agency had received a letter from the group, dated in early April.
The list came at a time of increased tension over illegal immigration, both in Utah and in the country, two weeks before neighboring Arizona enacts a tough new law aimed at fighting illegal immigration. The federal government has sued Arizona over the law. Here in Salt Lake City, a group of state lawmakers is drafting a bill patterned after it.
Several people on the list expressed anxiety that their personal information had been released, and said they were concerned about their safety and that of their families. Some of those on the list said the heightened pressure could force them from the country.
One Guatemalan man, who spoke only on condition that he be identified as Monzon, admitted that he was in the country illegally. He said he had tried hard to keep off lists of all sorts, essentially by being the best American he could — paying his taxes and staying out of debt.
“I have always tried to keep my record clean,” he said.
But he struck a fatalistic note that might please the letter writers: “It might just be time to reflect and think if the time has come to leave,” he said.
A woman who identified herself as Liset said she was from Mexico and in the United States illegally. She said that her 2-year-old son was born in the United States, but that she had filed papers to give him Mexican citizenship as well.
“If something were to happen he will go with me to Mexico,” she said. She said she believed her personal information on the list came from her application for Medicaid. As for what it was like having reporters call, reading from a sheaf of papers containing large and small details about her life, she said, “I find it strange that you know so many things.”
Angie Welling, a spokeswoman for Governor Herbert, a Republican, said that the release of the material was significant, but that the specificity of detail was even more troubling.
“Any release of private information of this nature, especially the depth and breadth of it, is concerning,” Ms. Welling said. “The governor wants to be sure that a state agency wasn’t involved, and if it was, to make sure it doesn’t happen again, and to get to the bottom of who was responsible.”
Improper release of information from state records is a misdemeanor. The medical information on the list, however, from the notations about pregnancies, could potentially elevate the criminal implications far beyond that, to felony charges and lengthy prison sentences, for violation of federal medical privacy laws.
Proyecto Latino de Utah, one of the most prominent immigrant advocacy organizations in the state, received many frantic calls on Wednesday. People had heard about the list, but because no major news organization has actually published its full contents, the callers mainly wanted to know one thing: Am I on it?
“Nine missed calls this morning,” said Tony Yapías, the group’s director, glancing at his cellphone in an interview in his office. Most of the callers, he said, were not on the list.
One woman said that not knowing what could unfold next was the worst thing. “What’s going to happen?” she asked.
Mr. Yapías, the former director of the state’s Office of Hispanic Affairs, said he was convinced that the list had come from the State Department of Workforce Services, an agency that combines resources for job seekers, employers and people seeking assistance like food stamps or Medicaid. The list includes information that other agencies might collect, he said, but Workforce Services’ application form includes a question that other information-laden agencies like the Division of Motor Vehicles, for example, would not ever ask: “Is anyone in your home currently pregnant?”
Ms. Welling at the governor’s office said that the state’s Department of Technology Services was leading the investigation, looking into whether a digital trail might been left behind if state computers were used to prepare the list. She said that Workforce Services, in particular, was doing its own investigation, which she called “extensive.”
She said that to her knowledge no state agency had started any investigations of individuals based on the list.
A spokesman the Department of Workforce Services, Dave Lewis, said a team of information specialists was looking for patterns — whether the computer formatting would provide clues about the document’s origin or creation and whether there had been any unusual activity in people accessing that information inside the agency.
For people who found themselves named and workers in Utah’s government alike, the result was a real-life version of the old childhood game of “Telephone.” Information had leaked out from somewhere. Where? Was it accurate? Who had compiled it? Who now had copies of the list and where might the chain of whispers go from here? Would the leakers be found?
Dabrali Jimenez and Lillian Polanco contributed reporting from New York.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/us/15utah.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=immigrant%20list&st=cse
The New York Times
July 14, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY — A list of 1,300 Utah residents described as illegal immigrants has sown fear among some Hispanics here, and prompted an investigation into its origins and dissemination.
Each page of the list is headed with the words “Illegal Immigrants” and each entry contains details about the individuals listed — from their address and telephone number to their date of birth and, in the case of pregnant women, their due dates. The letter was received by law enforcement and media outlets on Monday and Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Gov. Gary R. Herbert said Wednesday that an investigation was under way to see if state employees might have been involved in releasing the private information.
A memorandum accompanying the list said it was from Concerned Citizens of the United States. It urged immediate deportation proceedings against the people listed, as well as publication of their names by the news media.
The memo said an earlier version of the list had been sent to federal immigration officials in April. It promised that more names would be forthcoming, and promised authorities, “We will be listening and watching.”
“We are not violent, nor do we support violence,” the letter said.
A spokeswoman for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that the agency had received a letter from the group, dated in early April.
The list came at a time of increased tension over illegal immigration, both in Utah and in the country, two weeks before neighboring Arizona enacts a tough new law aimed at fighting illegal immigration. The federal government has sued Arizona over the law. Here in Salt Lake City, a group of state lawmakers is drafting a bill patterned after it.
Several people on the list expressed anxiety that their personal information had been released, and said they were concerned about their safety and that of their families. Some of those on the list said the heightened pressure could force them from the country.
One Guatemalan man, who spoke only on condition that he be identified as Monzon, admitted that he was in the country illegally. He said he had tried hard to keep off lists of all sorts, essentially by being the best American he could — paying his taxes and staying out of debt.
“I have always tried to keep my record clean,” he said.
But he struck a fatalistic note that might please the letter writers: “It might just be time to reflect and think if the time has come to leave,” he said.
A woman who identified herself as Liset said she was from Mexico and in the United States illegally. She said that her 2-year-old son was born in the United States, but that she had filed papers to give him Mexican citizenship as well.
“If something were to happen he will go with me to Mexico,” she said. She said she believed her personal information on the list came from her application for Medicaid. As for what it was like having reporters call, reading from a sheaf of papers containing large and small details about her life, she said, “I find it strange that you know so many things.”
Angie Welling, a spokeswoman for Governor Herbert, a Republican, said that the release of the material was significant, but that the specificity of detail was even more troubling.
“Any release of private information of this nature, especially the depth and breadth of it, is concerning,” Ms. Welling said. “The governor wants to be sure that a state agency wasn’t involved, and if it was, to make sure it doesn’t happen again, and to get to the bottom of who was responsible.”
Improper release of information from state records is a misdemeanor. The medical information on the list, however, from the notations about pregnancies, could potentially elevate the criminal implications far beyond that, to felony charges and lengthy prison sentences, for violation of federal medical privacy laws.
Proyecto Latino de Utah, one of the most prominent immigrant advocacy organizations in the state, received many frantic calls on Wednesday. People had heard about the list, but because no major news organization has actually published its full contents, the callers mainly wanted to know one thing: Am I on it?
“Nine missed calls this morning,” said Tony Yapías, the group’s director, glancing at his cellphone in an interview in his office. Most of the callers, he said, were not on the list.
One woman said that not knowing what could unfold next was the worst thing. “What’s going to happen?” she asked.
Mr. Yapías, the former director of the state’s Office of Hispanic Affairs, said he was convinced that the list had come from the State Department of Workforce Services, an agency that combines resources for job seekers, employers and people seeking assistance like food stamps or Medicaid. The list includes information that other agencies might collect, he said, but Workforce Services’ application form includes a question that other information-laden agencies like the Division of Motor Vehicles, for example, would not ever ask: “Is anyone in your home currently pregnant?”
Ms. Welling at the governor’s office said that the state’s Department of Technology Services was leading the investigation, looking into whether a digital trail might been left behind if state computers were used to prepare the list. She said that Workforce Services, in particular, was doing its own investigation, which she called “extensive.”
She said that to her knowledge no state agency had started any investigations of individuals based on the list.
A spokesman the Department of Workforce Services, Dave Lewis, said a team of information specialists was looking for patterns — whether the computer formatting would provide clues about the document’s origin or creation and whether there had been any unusual activity in people accessing that information inside the agency.
For people who found themselves named and workers in Utah’s government alike, the result was a real-life version of the old childhood game of “Telephone.” Information had leaked out from somewhere. Where? Was it accurate? Who had compiled it? Who now had copies of the list and where might the chain of whispers go from here? Would the leakers be found?
Dabrali Jimenez and Lillian Polanco contributed reporting from New York.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/us/15utah.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=immigrant%20list&st=cse
Friday, December 5, 2008
Latino community still in disarray (Utah)
Latino community still in disarray
Two years later some undocumented workers have returned to the US, but live in fear
Jennifer W. Sanchez
The Salt Lake Tribune
12/04/2008
Ignacio and his family have never recovered since federal agents arrested his wife two years ago during an immigration raid on a northern Utah meat-packing company.
She was deported to Mexico, but slipped back over the border and returned to Ignacio and their two sons. Later, she gave birth to their baby girl.
Since the raid, Ignacio has been laid off and re-hired several times from a job that pays $8 an hour. The bank came for the family's 1999 Chevrolet Blazer in July; he still owes the mechanic for repairs. And the rent is five months late.
The children wear hand-me-downs. Ignacio can't even buy a new dress for his only daughter.
"I'm embarrassed. We feel like beggars," he said in his living room, decorated with a Mexico soccer team jersey and a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. "We never had to ask for help before."
The raid on the then-Swift & Co. meat-packing plant in Hyrum was part of a federal roundup of about 1,300 undocumented workers at the company's operations in six states.
Early on Dec. 12, 2006 -- also the Day of Our Lady Guadalupe, considered a holy day by many Latinos -- immigration agents poured into the 1,100-employee plant in rural Hyrum. They arrested 154 undocumented Latino workers and charged all but seven with violating federal and state identity-fraud and immigration statutes.
It was never disclosed how many of those arrested were deported, and it cannot be known how many returned to the U.S
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11139134
Two years later some undocumented workers have returned to the US, but live in fear
Jennifer W. Sanchez
The Salt Lake Tribune
12/04/2008
Ignacio and his family have never recovered since federal agents arrested his wife two years ago during an immigration raid on a northern Utah meat-packing company.
She was deported to Mexico, but slipped back over the border and returned to Ignacio and their two sons. Later, she gave birth to their baby girl.
Since the raid, Ignacio has been laid off and re-hired several times from a job that pays $8 an hour. The bank came for the family's 1999 Chevrolet Blazer in July; he still owes the mechanic for repairs. And the rent is five months late.
The children wear hand-me-downs. Ignacio can't even buy a new dress for his only daughter.
"I'm embarrassed. We feel like beggars," he said in his living room, decorated with a Mexico soccer team jersey and a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. "We never had to ask for help before."
The raid on the then-Swift & Co. meat-packing plant in Hyrum was part of a federal roundup of about 1,300 undocumented workers at the company's operations in six states.
Early on Dec. 12, 2006 -- also the Day of Our Lady Guadalupe, considered a holy day by many Latinos -- immigration agents poured into the 1,100-employee plant in rural Hyrum. They arrested 154 undocumented Latino workers and charged all but seven with violating federal and state identity-fraud and immigration statutes.
It was never disclosed how many of those arrested were deported, and it cannot be known how many returned to the U.S
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11139134
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