KVNUFTP

Marking the first day of “the law [that] seeks to correct problems that don’t exist.” From the editorial.

The law places extra burdens on business owners, requiring them to use an E-verify system for which many of them lack training. Elsewhere, this system has been shown to reject legal residents by mistake. The result will be yet another drag on a struggling economy.

It will make Utah less safe. Illegal immigrants will be afraid to report crimes because doing so might mean they will be deported.

Most importantly, the law seeks to correct problems that don’t exist. A recent Sutherland Institute study found that only 3.9 percent of inmates in county jails in Utah are undocumented, as are less than 5 percent of inmates in state prisons. Illegal immigrants do not commit crimes to a larger degree than others. Most are as law abiding as other Utahns. Crossing the border illegally is a minor offense, on the order of a speeding ticket.

A much better approach would have been to set up some sort of system by which these workers could enter and leave the state legally. That is the approach the federal government needs to take. We are astounded that all sides in this debate cannot see the wisdom of a system that would control and monitor the influx of workers across the border, eliminating the crimes committed by immigration traffickers and making it easier to spot and punish the genuine criminals.

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals may soon strike down part of an Oklahoma law that mirrors Utah’s new law. Other lawsuits are in the planning stages. Utah could end up paying a heavy toll economically, and in other ways, for passing this law. The best idea would be for lawmakers to begin laying plans to repeal it as soon as possible.