The release of a list of people who are alleged to be illegal immigrants who registered with the state was the hot topic in the state last week.  The release of the list was condemned by many political leaders.  But not all.  Senator Margaret Dayton said that people should focus on the names on the list rather than who released the list.  Representative Stephen Sandstrom said release of the list was inappropriate.  Of course, it was more than inappropriate.  It was... illegal.  

It is ironic that the main point of those who illegally released the list, and some like Dayton who want to accomplish the objectives of those who released the list, is that these people on the list are breaking the law.  Does that oxymoron of breaking the law to identify lawbreakers occur to those who released these names or those who abet the leakers?  

Illegal immigration is a problem today.  The cure is not to fan heated rhetoric about how illegal immigrants are the source of most of the crimes committed or the myth that illegal immigrants are the biggest danger to society. Or Representative Chaffetz's call for placing illegal immigrants in tent cities.  That kind of rhetoric has been common among those who have pushed for an Arizona-style law in Utah. It shouldn't be a surprise that some of the followers of the  instigators of such rhetoric, such as those Utah government employees, decided it was time to take things in their own hands, vigilante-style.

Rather, the leaders of the anti-illegal immigrant movement should take a step back and think about what their rhetoric is doing to the political environment.  Yes, they may be scoring political points with a certain constituency, particularly the extremists of the Republican party, but they also are contributing to an atmosphere of hate, resentment, and fear.  Now that atmosphere has resulted in action by some of their followers.  Whether those whose names appear on this list will be harassed is yet to be known.  But that was certainly the objective of the leakers and it is abetted by people like Dayton and Sandstrom who don't clearly condemn this act.

Unfortunately, partisan politics is at the root of this immigration rhetoric.  

Case in point:

The governor is holding a summit today on the immigration issue.  Sounds good.  Except that he failed to invite the mayor of the largest county in the state.  He probably would have done so had that person not been Peter Corroon.   It is obvious he didn't want to invite Mayor Corroon to help resolve the problem because the governor wanted to help his own re-election.  Having Mayor Corroon there would mean the governor wouldn't get all the credit for the summit.  Corroon also might have some good ideas about immigration and show that Herbert doesn't.  If Herbert wasn't so partisan, he would have been okay with that.  However, the governor is very partisan.   Several years ago, while lieutenant governor, he approached a distinguished member of the education community about becoming the governor's education deputy.   After an extensive interview about taking the position and Herbert's apparent support for the person, he then said "Now you are a Republican, aren't you?"  When the individual said he was not, Herbert indicated that would be a real problem.  In fact, the appointment never happened.

Such partisanship has no place in the immigration debate.  The individuals on all sides of this debate deserve better.  Gary Herbert should work together with Peter Corroon and other Democratic leaders to solve this problem.  

Policymakers, particularly those with who are spurring this heated rhetoric,  should pay attention to the LDS Church's recent statement about resolving illegal immigration.  The statement urges compassion towards all who are affected by immigration policy.  The statement says any immigration policy should "do what is best for all of God's children."  Last time I noticed illegal immigrants are also God's children.   That is exactly the point the LDS Church leadership is trying to make to our state representatives.  Are you listening, Senator Dayton and Representatives Sandstrom, Herrod, Wimmer, etc.?

The release of the list should be a wake-up call to all of us that the political environment has become much too divisive.  Democrats and Republicans can work together to resolve problems, including immigration.  But it requires civility, recognition of the value of all humanity (not just our narrow constituent groups), and a willingness to lay down the ideological and racial blinders that are preventing practical resolution of this ultimately solvable problem.