More Trash Talk

Here's another 'news story' being used by the ACLU, the SLTrib and other 'progressive' groups to once again deplore the plight of the poor downtrodden 'undocumented' illegal alien who is just "doing jobs American won't do" or to cast aspersions on ICE's attempts to enforce the law, or, perhaps, just to knock the LDS Church or . . . we're not sure what the real motivation is. The news 'report' excerpted below popped up yesterday based on a 'story' two weeks ago in The Nation.
This popped up as a "most viewed" story containing those two elements beloved by SLTrib commenters - illegal aliens and the LDS Church.

Basically, this is a non story based on an opinion/report of one person being used by the ACLU or (SL Trib) to . . . I'm not sure what.

121 comments: many simply anti Mormon Church, majority just anti illegals, with a few "liberals" thrown in for 'balance'.

A few 'cute' comments:

• "Let's dress up as illegals and knock on Mormons doors."
• "Why doesn't ICE go as ACLU and immigration attorneys? Or how about Tribune reporters? "
• "Thought it was the ACLU not MCLU! "
• "No worries. Obama has reduced ICE to returning stolen exotic cars and fake Gucci handbags."

ICE agents posing as LDS missionaries?

• Updated: 12/29/2009 12:22:42 AM MST
  
  The American Civil Liberties Union is raising the suspicion that federal immigration agents posed as Mormon missionaries to try to nab undocumented immigrants.
  
  The allegation was made by a California professor writing in a recent edition of The Nation magazine who quoted Marina Lowe, an ACLU staff attorney in Salt Lake City.
  
  The article, posted online Dec. 17, asserted that ICE agents throughout the nation use all kinds of ruses, including posing as missionaries and insurance agents.
  
  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman Virginia Kice on Monday said the allegation that agents pretend to be missionaries is "patently untrue."
  
  Lowe told The Salt Lake Tribune that she had little to go on when a woman living along the Wasatch Front reported last spring that ICE agents may have posed as LDS missionaries.
  
  The woman, who was suspicious of other visitors seeking her husband around the same time, said two people dressed like missionaries, but lacking black name badges commonly worn by Mormon emissaries, came to her door, Lowe said.
  
  "It was purely her impression," Lowe said. "She was very suspicious."
  
  The day after she confirmed for the visitors that her husband lived there, the article said, he was arrested by ICE agents.
  
  Visitors seeking her husband previously about an insurance matter, however, left a phone number.

Utah Violating Federal Abetting Illegals Law

A very small section of 8 USC 1324 states:

"Any person who . . . encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law; . . . or aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts" is subject to very stiff penalties.

Utah enacted a Driver's Privilege Card in 2005, or so, and modified it in 2009 so it is now ONLY issued to illegal aliens. Utah is one of only 4 states to offer this enticement.

An Audit in 2008 reported that the previous DP card was merely 98.3% illegal aliens :

ID requirements for a DPC are now :

Foreign birth certificate including a certified translation if the birth certificate is not in English and one of the following:

• Church records,
• court records,
• driver license,
• employee ID,
• insurance ID card,
• Matricular Consular Card (issued in Utah),
• Mexican Voter Registration card,
• school records,
• Utah DPC,
• other evidence considered acceptable by the Division Director or designee.

AND

• Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS);
• or Document or letter from the IRS verifying the ITIN

Utah Department of Public Safety declares: "Undocumented individuals who do not qualify for a US Social Security Number, must obtain a Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) from the Internal Revenue Service."

The IRS has specifically declared that ITIN's are NOT secure and are not to be used for identification.

An Inspector General Report declared:

"As a result, individuals are being assigned multiple ITINs, ITINs are being improperly used for employment and billions of dollars in tax credits are being provided to ITIN filers without verification of eligibility."

Apparently, Utah is knowingly and actively continuing to encourage aliens to reside in Utah (part of the US) in reckless disregard of the Federal law.

WHY?

UFIRE Investigates SB 81 Compliance

In a recent list of Utah businesses who had registered to use Everify, members of UFIRE discovered that very few Utah government entities had applied. Everify is the Department of Homeland Securities employment verification database designed to minimize the hiring of illegal aliens.

SB 81, Illegal Immigration, was enacted in 2008, for implementation July 1, 2009. The law required all Utah public employers to register with and use a Status Verification System and to only make contracts with companies using such employment verification.

Noting that Utah School Districts, an easily discovered group on the list, indicated less than 30% compliance; an Email was sent to all of the districts requesting information on why they were not registered and language being used to comply with the contractor requirements.

Within less than 24 hours, five districts responded with information. The first response received was informative: “Prior to reading your email, *** School District was not participating in a status verification system. Upon reviewing the information provided, we have decided to enroll in the E-Verify system and that registration is complete.”

“Why were they not aware of SB 81? Didn't they hear of the two year debate on the issue? Didn't the State Office of Education and the districts' own legal counsel advise them of the requirement?”

Two weeks after the query was sent, nine additional School Districts have applied for Everify bringing the compliance total to over 50%. Two compliant Districts sent their contract language which has been forwarded to those districts lacking any rules for contractors.

An unsolicited Email from the USOE was received stating, ”Just a suggestion from the Utah State Office of Education (USOE)—your list and directives should include the requirement that public charter schools also use everify for their employees. I am certain that most charters schools have never even heard of the process.” A response was made that UFIRE was not able to issue directives and to ask USOE if they were compliant. To date, no answer has been received.
Several Utah legislators have been contacted and are aware on the non compliance and are investigating methods of securing compliance.

The investigation is continuing and includes other public entities in addition to school districts. The complete report on school district SB 81 compliance is available online.

There is no excuse for ignoring SB 81. It is a simple procedure that assists in enforcing Federal law prohibiting the employment of 'undocumented' immigrants. More Utah employers should take advantage of the free system, currently just two percent do.