Utah Gov. Gary Herbert would like to see what he describes as a "Utah solution" to immigration reform. And despite the frustrations associated with the issue that leaves both sides so far apart, the governor is optimistic enough to even hope that political opponents on opposite spectrums of the issue, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, and Rep. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, might co-sponsor an immigration reform bill one day.
That is admittingly a longshot hope, but it underscores Herbert's hope that the recent one-day Utah immigration summit provided some enlightenment on the issue. And it furthers the hope that with some swapping of ideas in the future, perhaps Utah can fashion its own hybrid immigration reform solution; one that takes the best ideas from all sides of the table, weeds out the bad ideas, and constructs a law that keeps people safe and protects everyone's rights.
From our discussions with the governor, we believe Herbert has a lot of faith that the passions that divide activists on issues can be bridged with lots of debate, brainstorming and ditching of ideas, and finally achieving the sought-after consensus that has so far eluded our federal government. There are some caveats needed to eventually reach a consensus.
One is that the federal government has to be at the table. A particularly strong argument of the Obama administration is that there cannot be a patchwork of state and local immigration laws that conflict. It's that argument that may sink Arizona's new law, which mandates that persons provide identification to law enforcement under certain situations. However, the Obama administration is also a hindrance to immigration reform with its overt opposition to tough anti-illegal immigration laws such as Arizona's, while it ignores and winks at "sanctuary city" laws that defy federal efforts to control illegal immigration.
Also, we need law enforcement to find a reasonable consensus on the best methods of immigration reform. The differences on solutions between Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank and Ogden Police Chief Jon Greiner underscore similar debates in Arizona and across the nation.
Frankly, it may take a magician to effect federal law enforcement reform this year or next, and we're concerned that a Utah legislative solution will mirror Arizona's and create more friction than harmony. But it was nice to see all sides at the table last week, and we hope the Sandstroms and the Robles maintain the conversation.
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