SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced the state will assist the administration of President-elect Trump in the deportation of illegal immigrants.
In a release Tuesday, Cox said the Utah Department of Public Safety and the Utah Department of Corrections will work together in coordination with federal, state and local agencies to "identify, incarcerate and deport more illegal immigrants who have committed crimes and pose a threat to public safety."
Trump's campaign leading up to his recent election victory focused heavily on securing the country's borders and threatening mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
Cox claims illegal immigrants make up 4.6% of the state's prison population, costing Utah nearly $16 million a year. According to the governor, the majority of crimes committed by those who entered the country illegally are sex offenses and murder.
“When it comes to immigration policy, the safety of Utah residents is my top priority,” said Cox. “Utah will continue to welcome refugees and immigrants who enter the country lawfully, and we will continue pushing for reforms to the asylum process and for more visas to support our workforce needs. We have zero tolerance, however, for those who demonstrate a threat to public safety while in the country illegally."
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Utah's focus will be on identifying what Cox called "intercept points" where illegal immigrants who have committed crimes can be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities for deportation, "relieving Utah taxpayers of the cost of imprisonment or parole," the governor added.
Cox claims crimes committed by illegal immigrants have spread into the state's population outside jail cells, using drug distribution on the Jordan River Trail and the activities of a Venezuelan gang as examples of the danger they pose.
State Democratic leaders condemned Cox's aid, saying the governor was scapegoating undocumented communities in the state.
“Do I want to make sure people who are committing serious crimes and hurting people that they’re held accountable, yes. I’m not debating that," said House Democratic Leader Angela Romero. "But my concern is the rhetoric and the political rhetoric going around about people who are inspiring to be citizens, people who are undocumented or people who are asylees.”
Ramon Ramirez, who works for a nonprofit that helps undocumented families find jobs and housing, says the people around him are uncertain about what’s ahead.
“I have a lot of friends and people who I work with who are Latin and in the process," he shared. "They feel a little scared of what’s happening because they don’t have any idea."
