Congressman urges lawsuit on Utah immigration law

[peejay 327]

Congressman urges lawsuit on Utah immigration law

The Associated Press

Monday, April 25, 2011 | 3:06 a.m.

The Texas congressman who heads the U.S. House Judiciary Committee has accused the Justice Department of being "hypocritical" for not pursuing legal action against a Utah law approving a guest worker program for illegal immigrants.

U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said in a letter Monday to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder that the Utah law approving the program is unconstitutional, and called the department's inaction a "stark contrast" to the federal government's lawsuit against Arizona for a law "that merely complements and assists in the enforcement of federal immigration law."

"This is hypocritical. If (the Justice Department) chooses not to take legal action against Utah's unconstitutional law, it will be clear the Administration bases their decisions on their own political views rather than constitutional principle," Smith said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The Utah law doesn't take effect for two years, which state officials said was done specifically to avert a lawsuit. The state is seeking a federal waiver.

In his letter, Smith said the government's inaction would reinforce the perception that it only opposes strict enforcement measures such as Arizona's law.

In its challenge to Arizona's law, the Justice Department argued the measure intrudes on its exclusive authority to regulate immigration, disrupts U.S.-Mexico relations, hinders cooperation between state and federal officials, and puts burdens on legal immigrants. A federal judge put key parts of that law on hold last July, a ruling the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld earlier this month.

Smith said that if Obama's administration "is serious about having a uniform immigration policy rather than a 'patchwork' of state immigration laws you profess to oppose, then the Administration needs to take action against the Utah law."

A showdown with federal officials is the last thing Utah wants, the state's Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said. He and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert have met with federal officials, including members of the Justice Department.

Shurtleff, a Republican, said Smith's letter is not only wrong, but strictly political.

"He's riding right along the line of the hard right wing radicals," said Shurtleff. "He's trying to stick his nose into Utah's business and play politics."

Herbert said the lawsuit threat was "typical Washington" and that legal action would be a waste of time.

"The people of the U.S. would be better served if the federal government used the time between now and 2013 to actually address immigration, rather than sue Utah for trying to manage the practical realities we face as states due to the absence of federal action," Herbert said.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the letter was being reviewed.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's lawyers has argued the federal government hasn't effectively enforced immigration law and that the state's intent in passing the law was to assist federal authorities, as Congress has encouraged.

Utah's guest worker program was part of an immigration reform package signed into law March 15 by Utah's governor. The package included an enforcement measure that was modeled on Arizona's law that goes into effect in May.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/apr/25/us-immigration-reform-utah/

[Harsh_77 716]

Don't see anything wrong, if someone finds Arizona's laws going out of bound and they feel they are interferring in the Federal working then same applies to Utah too.

Utah should not be able to make its law for letting illegal immigrant work and giving them legal status.

That should be the Feds job to come up with immigration laws.

[peejay 327]

Don't see anything wrong, if someone finds Arizona's laws going out of bound and they feel they are interferring in the Federal working then same applies to Utah too.

Utah should not be able to make its law for letting illegal immigrant work and giving them legal status.

That should be the Feds job to come up with immigration laws.

So why does Obummer's Justice Department jump on AZ in a NY second for anti-illegal alien state legislation, but hasn't done anything to UT in regards to its pro-illegal alien state legislation?

It appears as if Obummer and his lackies pick and choose their constitutional battles according to their own personal agendas and the agendas of their buddies rather than holding to the constitution as they publicly stated when they put the full force of Federal resouces against AZ.

The constitution is only convenient when it is to their benefit. Otherwise it is ignored and circumvented.

Nothing new here. I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy and sleaze. Take it or leave it. It's just something else to digest before 2012.