The Utah Highway Patrol is joining a chorus of local police departments in refusing to enforce a “knee jerk” immigration law sponsored by Rep. Mike Noel (R-Kanab) set to take effect July 1st. Salt Lake Tribune:
In what might be the most symbolic setback yet for the state’s new immigration law, the director of the Utah Highway Patrol says troopers will not be certified as immigration agents.“We are concerned about traffic safety and also ensuring that all people have a safe and secure environment in Utah,” Utah Department of Public Safety Director Lance Davenport said Wednesday at a Latino town hall meeting here. “And that includes you.”
Davenport’s announcement means the state’s two largest police agencies — UHP and the Salt Lake City Police Department — will not enforce immigration laws.
The third biggest — the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office — will enforce immigration laws only against inmates booked into its jail.
Davenport, whose job includes oversight of UHP, said the patrol does not have enough money and personnel to begin enforcing immigration laws. State budget cuts have already forced UHP to reduce the number of troopers, Davenport said.
“If [legislators] want us to do that, what we need is the resources,” Davenport said.
A bill passed last year by the state Legislature, SB81, will go into effect on July 1, giving police agencies the option of enforcing federal immigration laws. Davenport’s announcement puts UHP on a growing list of police agencies declining to have their officers enforce immigration laws.
But unlike local police departments, UHP’s budget is set by the Legislature, whose conservative members have already criticized the Salt Lake City Police Department’s refusal to enforce immigration laws.
Salt Lake, West Valley, Park City, and now UHP are supporting only one aspect of the law: increased efforts to determine immigration status of jail inmates.
Again: a bad bill sponsored and passed in an election year, but “post dated” because, methinks, even they knew it was a horrible idea. Local law enforcement agencies should be commended for calling it what it is when our legislators would not.
