CITIZENS COUNCIL ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

WASHINGTON COUNTY, UTAH

CONSTITUTION 

I.     Purpose of the Citizens Council on Illegal Immigration.

       The purpose of the Citizens Council on Illegal immigration (hereinafter "the Council") is to provide the legal residents of WashingtonCounty with a forum in which they can oppose illegal immigration.  The Council will document the problems caused by illegal immigration and propose solutions that can be implemented by the community and by public officials.

II.   Structure of the Council.

A.   Council Members.

       The Council will be composed of seven Council members appointed by a majority vote of the members of the executive committee of the Dixie Republican Forum.  Members of the Council may also be removed by the same vote.

B.   Council Member's Duties.

       The Council members shall direct the work of the Council by issuing reports, passing resolutions, coordinating committee assignments, and taking all other actions necessary to fulfill the purpose of the Council.  All official Council actions shall be approved by a majority vote of the Council members.

 C.   Council Officers.

       The members of the Council shall elect, from among themselves, a Chair to conduct the meetings of the Council and speak on behalf of the Council and a Vice-Chair to preside in the absence of the Chair.  The members of the Council shall also appoint a Secretary to keep the minutes of the Council's meetings.

D.   Meetings.

       The Council shall hold a public meeting at least monthly.  The meeting's agenda shall be set by the Chairman, with the input of the Council members, and distributed to the Council members prior to the meeting.   The Council may hold other meetings as authorized by the Council.

III.  Council Committees.

       The Council shall create Committees, and appoint Committee members to carry out the purpose of the Council.  Primary Committees shall include Law Enforcement, Health, Education and Employment.   The primary Committees shall report their progress to the Council at the monthly meeting.  The support Committees shall be the Media, Community Relations and American Culture.  The Council may create other ad hoc committees as needed.  The Council shall appoint a Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary for each Committee.  The Committees shall meet as needed and shall report their actions and recommendations at the monthly Council meetings. 

A.   The Law Enforcement Committee.

       The Law Enforcement Committee shall study and make recommendations on the role of law enforcement in stopping illegal immigration.

B.   The Health Committee.

       The Health Committee shall study and make recommendations regarding the impact of illegal immigration on the health of our community.

C.   The Education Committee.

       The Education Committee shall study and make recommendations regarding the impact of illegal immigration on education in our community.

 D.  The Employment Committee.

       The Employment Committee shall study and make recommendations regarding the role of employers in the problems associated with illegal immigration.

E.   The American Culture Committee.

       The American Culture Committee shall study and make recommendations regarding the impact of illegal immigration on the culture of our community, and provide support to the primary committees as required.

F.   The Media/Publicity Committee.

       The Media/Publicity Committee shall assist in handling all relations with the media, such as press releases and notification of meetings, and provide support to the primary Committees as required.

G.   The Community Relations Committee.

       The Community Relations Committee shall assist in involving the Council in community events and activities, and provide support to the primary committees as required.

IMMIGRATION LAW ENFORCEMENT PLAN

I.    Governing Principles.

A.   Legal immigrants are welcome.  Legal immigrants are valued and welcomed in our community, as we respect the efforts they have made to come here legally and/or to seek U. S. citizenship.

B.   Illegal immigrants are violating the law.  While many illegal immigrants are descent people who are looking for freedom and opportunity, enforcement of federal immigration laws is important and all immigrants in violation of those laws must be held accountable for their decision to come here illegally.

C.   Zero tolerance of illegal immigration.  Illegal immigration must not be tolerated because it is harmful to our legal system and our society.  Illegal immigration burdens our legal system and law enforcement agencies with increased crime and motor vehicle violations.  Illegal immigration damages our society by burdening our schools, our medical facilities and our welfare agencies.

D.   Federal, state and local co-operation.  The U. S. Constitution gives authority to regulate immigration to the national government, but federal officials need the assistance of state and local agencies, and the general public, to properly enforce immigration laws.

II.  The Status Quo is Failing.

A.   The current system only allows local and state law enforcement officers to arrest illegal immigrants when they commit crimes other than violations of federal immigration law.

B.   Thus, illegal immigrants freely come to WashingtonCounty, knowing that they will not be arrested if they are careful to be law abiding.

C.   The local immigration office does not have the manpower needed to enforce immigration laws properly.  The local immigration officers spend much of their time interviewing and deporting arrestees, rather than arresting them.

D.  Illegal immigrants are using false documents to obtain employment and most local businesses feel powerless to do anything about it.

E.   For these reasons, illegal immigration is on the rise and is creating significant problems in WashingtonCounty.

III. A New Enforcement Plan Will Work.

A.   A new Immigration Law Enforcement Plan will provide a three-tiered approach. 

B.   First, the creation of a new local, state and federal Immigration Task Force;

C.   Second, cooperative efforts to stop local businesses from hiring illegal immigrants;

D.   Third, a publicity campaign to educate employers and the public of the devastating effects of the illegal alien invasion.

IV.  Creation of an Immigration Task Force.

A.   The new Immigration Task Force will include local, state and federal law enforcement officials.