Students protest after HB 241

An alliance of U students and community members demonstrated outside the Capitol Building on Tuesday in opposition to a slew of anti-illegal immigration bills going through the Utah State Legislature.

The group said the seven bills targeting undocumented immigrants represent the "death of the immigrant" and consequentially the "death of the American Dream."

Demonstrators participated in a candlelight vigil that lasted until after dark, expressing their opinions to legislators who were leaving their afternoon committee meetings and wearing signs saying "Sí se puede," or "Yes we can," and "Immigrants are pioneers." Students created an altar made of paper flowers, candles and a skeleton on top of a black trash bag in remembrance of this "death" and to represent efforts to fight against the legislation.

Chris Macias, a junior history major and organizer of the event, said the candles in the altar symbolize the light of undocumented individuals.

"We are the light of this community and the country," Macias said. "We are the light of tomorrow and today -- but we don't have to wait until tomorrow."

The vigil occurred a short time after House Bill 241, which would repeal in-state tuition for undocumented college students was tabled on the floor of the House of Representatives.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, said he chose to postpone a vote on the bill because Chris Herrod, R-Provo, was absent from the floor. Herrod, a supporter of the bill, was gone because his wife was delivering a baby. Donnelson left the floor when his bill came up so that it would be automatically tabled. He then returned for the rest of the bills.

"I needed his vote," Donnelson said.

Last year, the same bill failed by one vote in the House because Herrod was absent. Donnelson said he didn't want that to happen again. HB 241 will come up again on the floor when Herrod comes back, he said, most likely on either Wednesday or Thursday.

Donnelson is sponsoring several anti-illegal immigration bills, all of which the demonstrating students oppose. Other bills would take away driving privilege cards of undocumented immigrants, empower state and local law enforcement officers to act as U.S. immigration agents, establish a Fraudulent Documents Identification Unit in the state attorney general's office and force public employers and contractors to use a federal online system to authenticate the immigration status of each employee.

Senate Bill 81, which students said is one of the worst bills of the session, combines a number of anti-immigration proposals into one.

Denise Castañeda, a senior in social justice and education, said these laws would perpetuate fear among immigrants.

"If an undocumented girl is raped, she's not going to call the police," she said.

Castañeda opposes the driving privilege bill because it would also take away the insurance of undocumented drivers, which she said would be harmful to everyone.

"Undocumented people are going to continue to be here," she said. "How can they continue to contribute to society if they can't use the resources?"

Richard Diaz, a senior in social justice and education, said the demonstration and other kinds of non-traditional lobbying helps make an otherwise complicated legislative process more accessible to everyone. Diaz said he has tried to talk to legislators about the bills, but they were not responsive.

"Lawmakers said they're responding to constituents, but we're here to tell them otherwise," Diaz said.

Jose Rodriguez, a senior in social justice and education, said the lawmakers are passing the bills too quickly, even if groups such as the police are against them. He said they are not debating the bills or talking about how they would affect individuals.

"It opens up a lot of racial profiling and targeting," Rodriguez said.

Community members and U professors joined the students in the vigil.

Salt Lake City resident Sonya Alemán brought her two young children to the demonstration to teach them about being civically engaged.

"They're part of this community and these are issues we talk about as a family: heritage, principles and what we believe in," Alemán said. "This is a way of acting on those and making them more than just words around the dinner table."

Castañeda said she wanted to create a forum where community members could have their voices heard.

"If the representatives are going to represent, they need to hear what constituents have to say," she said.

r.mcconkie@chronicle.utah.edu