By J. Smith
Wonderful! Not every state legislature hates immigrants. Utah is the first state to pass immigration bills that will extend legal recognition to illegal immigrant laborers, The New York Times reports. The main focus of the bill will include a guest worker program that would allow unauthorized foreigners to work legally in the state.
Their alternative approach to the brutal immigration laws in other states like Arizona passed in both chambers of Utah’s Republican controlled legislature. But the package has something for everyone: There’s both a requirement of the police to check the immigration status of anyone arrested and there’s a chance for immigrants to work legally in the state.
The measure came after elevated lobbying from business and farm groups who, presumably, profit greatly on illegal labor. The Times reports that lawmakers in Utah consciously sought to avoid the costly and embarrassing political polarization and legal challenges that happened after Arizona’s law.
On one hand, we are glad that the legislation is much less xenophobic than other states’, but we are not fooled. This is certainly a more financial move than a human one. The state government in Utah recognizes the value of illegal labor to businesses and have sprung to protect it.
Read more: Utah Republicans Adopt Alternative Approach on Immigration
