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Utah: List of Latinos Described as “Illegal Aliens” Is Distributed

Posted July 14, 2010 by Patrick Young, Esq.
Categories: Hate Watch

The distribution of a list of 1,300 Latinos described as “illegal immigrants” in Utah is the latest in a series of anti-Latino acts of intimidation following the passage of Arizona’s SB 1070.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports:

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert wants to know whether any state employees helped create a list of 1,300 people an anonymous group has publicly accused of being undocumented immigrants.

Herbert on Tuesday ordered several state agencies to determine whether computer records were accessed inappropriately to create the detailed list, which arrived by mail Monday at media outlets, law enforcement agencies, and the state House and Senate.

“If it reveals any kind of evidence of wrongdoing or release of private information we will turn it over to the Attorney General’s Office,” said Angie Welling, Herbert’s spokeswoman.

Utah law makes it a misdemeanor to disclose government data not meant for public dissemination, though there are protections for whistle blowers. The list included names, addresses, birth dates, phone numbers, and 31 social security numbers. Also included: the names and dates of birth of 201 children, and the due dates of six pregnant women. Almost every surname is Latino.

Among the agencies being scrutinized are the Utah Department of Workforce Services and Department of Health, which handle birth and death certificates and applications for Medicaid, food stamps and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. American-born children can qualify for some kinds of aid even if their parents are undocumented.

Last year, the Utah Minutemen discussed using lists of suspected undocumented immigrants to pressure employers to fire Latino workers. At the July 2009 meeting of the Utah Minuteman Project, according to the Salt Lake Weekly, “the members discussed the idea of recruiting sympathetic company insiders who could give the group information about undocumented employees and then using the information to challenge management. ‘Pretty soon you empty out those plants,’ said Minuteman member Norm Davis.”

As I reported yesterday, something similar occurred last week in Arizona. Notices were mailed to businesses employing Latinos saying that they were subject to prosecution under the state’s anti-immigrant law SB 1070.

Utah is considering legislation similar to SB 1070 and has been in the throes of heated anti-immigrant campaign since the measure passed in Arizona.

UPDATE on Utah story.

Tags : , hate watch, minuteman, minuteman project, minutemen, sb 1070, utah

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