As Utah County Democrats, we recognize the contributions of immigrants to the betterment of society, both past and present. We also believe that those who come to the United States should do so legally.

Illegal immigration is a federal issue that urgently requires comprehensive reform. We call upon the federal government to adopt policies that provide necessary control of our borders; that recognize the value of hard-working immigrants to our economy and our society; that prevent exploitation of undocumented workers by employers; that deal compassionately with families; and that enable undocumented workers who demonstrate a desire to be law-abiding citizens a reasonable opportunity to come out from the shadows and become legal, fully contributing members of society. We strongly oppose enforcement-only policies, which severely distress and separate families, foster racial tension, and threaten cooperation with law-enforcement officers.

We applaud the Utah Compact and its supporters and endorse the call for a humane approach to this issue. We agree that “Utah should always be a place that welcomes people of goodwill,” and that “the way we treat immigrants will say more about us as a free society and less about our immigrant neighbors.”

We support the DREAM act, which would grant conditional permanent residency to undocumented individuals who arrived in the U.S. as minors and who have completed two years of an advanced degree or have served two years in the armed forces.