Utah may be diving head-first into a "race to the bottom" with Arizona to make the state as frightening as possible for people who look or sound "foreign."
On Monday, a group calling itself "Concerned Citizens of the United States" issued a list of 1,300 Utah residents it claims are illegal immigrants. The list of Hispanic names, birth dates, workplaces, addresses, phone numbers and Social Security numbers was sent to law enforcement agencies and news media demanding that those included be deported immediately. Women who are pregnant are noted along with their exact due dates, and the list specifies that steps should be taken for their immediate deportation. The names of children are also included in the list.
The accuracy of the list is dubious, reflective of the mythmaking that often fuels anti-immigrant sentiment. By Wednesday, at least two women on the list and contacted by the The Salt Lake Tribune reported that they were actually in the country lawfully.
In a letter accompanying the list, the unidentified authors chillingly state that they have been observing the individuals in "our" neighborhoods, streets, stores, schools and public welfare buildings. They claim additional information was obtained through infiltrating the "social networks" of those identified. New lists are promised on a continual basis, presumably until every last "illegal" has been hunted down and many thousands of innocent people have been spied on and harassed by vigilantes.
Notably, these anonymous "Concerned Citizens" make no effort to account for their own identities or the legality of their collection and dissemination of personally identifiable information.
Just this afternoon, state officials announced they have identified two Utah state workers who illegally accessed state databases to help compile this list. They've been put on administrative leave. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff promised an "immediate, aggressive, formal investigation."
The ACLU of Utah commends the swift action of Gov. Herbert and AttorneyGeneral Shurtleff in responding to investigate the release of private information once the list became public. It was critical that many senior state officials and legislators spoke out againstthe breaches and intimidation tactics. These security breaches also make clear that the government must do a better job of restricting access to and protecting databases containing such highly personal information.
While this list is a disturbing new development, this apparently private action is symptomatic of what has been a deep and frequently governmentally condoned outgrowth of racial profiling, swelling beneath the tourist-friendly, family-values face Utah presents to the rest of the nation. State legislators have promised to introduce a bill modeled on Arizona's S.B. 1070 in the upcoming legislative session, drawing encouragement rather than discouragement from the Justice Department lawsuit challenging Arizona's law. In 2008, Utah passed an omnibus anti-immigration bill, S.B. 81. Arizona's new law has Utah and some other states wondering how they can copy it and make things even worse, and Gov. Herbert has signaled that he will sign yet another ill-conceived immigration bill.
Hopefully Utahns realize, as their leaders now seem to do, that the list went too far. The anonymous compiling of personal information and the watchful, spying eyes of vigilante groups is cowardly and antithetical to long-established American ideals of liberty and individual sovereignty.
In a few weeks, Gov. Herbert is convening a roundtable of Utah legislators and community leaders to discuss immigration. This is the right time to responsibly address the intimidation and rising fears of a significant and diverse part of Utah's population.
Rather than follow Arizona's lead to the bottom, Utah can shift course to reclaim its
reputation for compassion, integrity and a respect for all.
Since that is impossible. I guess you’d have to ASK!!
But if you do you’re a rac.ist! :)
See how that works. It’s not them, it’s YOU! You’re the Rac.ist!
See, it's simple, really. :)
Go ahead and attack the people who leaked this list. Strike them down, and they'll rise back up more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
YOU are WHACKED if you imagine there is 5 people in the country who agree with ENDANGERING CHILDREN and PREGNANT WOMEN including something as personal and private as their date to give birth.
Go ahead and champion this truely disgusting breach of security of state employees.,,,see where it gets you Latin@-haters.
What resident of Utah will EVER trust any interaction with a state agency respects their Right to Privacy, or even respects them as people?
I commend the UT Governor for making NO EXCUSES, and tracking down the offending agency and offensive employees quickly...that is the best outcome the governor could provide his residents.
Here regardless of what the politics are of people patroling, if they are known and not simply a roving gang, they have US law to work with.
Quit trying to confuse America trying to deal with millions of unregistered foriegn nationals with the purges of Nazi Germany. Those were Germans they were KILLING. These are the citizens of other nations who stand to be sent to their country of origin, alive and unharmed from our end at least.
What their home nation does with them is entirely up to their government.
NAZIs killed GYPSIES...they are nomadic from country to country, they also killed French, English, Norwegians, Poles, Austrians, Soviets, Canadians, Americans. I suggest you watch the video of J T Ready on patrol, and look at the munitions they carry with them, it's enough for a coup of a third world country. Then listen to the interviews of these BARELY functioning minds, and their immaturity. I wouldn't trust any of them unsupervised with a slingshot, let alone an automatic rifle or gernades.
Since this writer is a lawyer for the ACLU, I hope that you will file suit on OUR behalf to FORCE the government to do its job in protecting US. But I guess that respect, integrity and compassion are ONLY for illegals and crooks, NOT American VICTIMS! I will rejoin the ACLU when it shows concern for the rights of US citizens who are harmed by these criminals. The SS administration said that they had to protect the identity of the crook who did this. I would think that the state of Utah could say the same about these employees too then. They have done no more of a crime than the illegals have in entering the US illegally.
Did they charge the illegal's with Identity Fraud?
Did they notify the victims of the stolen SSNs that the illegal's were using them?
Among other egregious crimes committed by the wealthy and powerful there, a death list was circulated by the leader of the wealthy ranchers that contained the names of hundreds of LEGAL immigrants to the US.
Many were killed by assassination, and more were killed when they resisted by force of arms.
The wealthy ranchers and their hired Texas gunmen were arrested and some were even tried, but no real punishment was meted out to any of them.
Here's Margaret Cho singing to the Mormons....enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo8wPJ5AnWs
Labor, Women, Youth, Latin@s, Asians, African Americans, First People, LGBTs.....UNITE!
However, claiming that action to be wrong but defending those who have broken the law is just as wrong.
We have access to the background of criminals. We have sex offenders list. Newspapers publish arrests even though an individual might be found innocent months later.
You may think that we need no borders and open the up to all. However, the law currently is illegal immigrants are breaking the law. That law should be enforced.
I like to drive fast not crazy fast but say 65 in a 55. I've gotten caught. Paid a fine.
I don't drive 65 in a school zone just because I think the limit on highways should be raised. I don't give alcohol to 19 year old because I think if you can vote and join the Army you should be allowed to drink.
Breaking a law to support another law (those compiling lists to enforce illegal immigrant laws) is just as wrong as those who disagree with the law (illegal immigrant supporters) and ignore it.