Utah Compact

2010 civic declaration of immigration principles

The Utah Compact is a declaration of five principles whose stated purpose is to "guide Utah's immigration discussion."[1] At a ceremony held on the grounds of the Utah State Capitol on November 11, 2010, it was signed by business, law enforcement and religious leaders including the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City,[2] and by various other community leaders and individuals.

## Principles

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The Principles of the Utah Compact are

1. Federal Solutions. Immigration, including border policy is a federal issue.
2. Law Enforcement. Law Enforcement should have discretion. Local law enforcement should focus on criminal activity rather than violations of federal civil code.
3. Families. Stating opposition to policies that unnecessarily separate families.
4. Economy. Recognition of the economic role of immigrants. Advocates support for free market policies to maximize individual freedom and opportunity.
5. A Free Society. Recognition that immigrants are part of society. States the need for a "humane approach to this reality, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion.[3]

## Reception

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Among supporters, the compact was complimented in a New York Times editorial[4] as coming from "people of good sense and good will". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) endorsed the Compact via a public statement, though it declined to sign the Compact itself.[5][6] The LDS Church counts about half of Utah's residents as its adherents, but the Compact is more controversial in Utah Mormon culture itself.[7][8]

## Criticism

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The Utah Compact is alleged by the Minuteman Project, conservative commentator Bob Lonsberry, and former Arizona State Senator Karen Johnson to contain deliberately misleading language intended to subtly promote tolerance of illegal immigration, opposition to enforcement of immigration law, and amnesty for illegal aliens.[9][10][11]

## See also

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* Immigration reform in the United States

## Notes

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1. ^ "The Utah Compact". The Utah Compact text.
2. ^ Carole Mikita (11 November 2010). "'Utah Compact' urges guidelines for immigration discussion". KSL-TV. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
3. ^ "The Utah Compact". The Utah Compact text.
4. ^ NY Times editorial (4 December 2010). "The Utah Compact". The New York Times.
5. ^ "Immigration: Shurtleff can't find support for Compact" (Salt Lake Tribune)
6. ^ "Among Mormons, a deep divide on immigration" (Los Angeles Times)
7. ^ "LDS panned on immigration" (Salt Lake Tribune)
8. ^ Goodstein, Laurie (February 2, 2012), "Romney's Tough Immigration View Is at Odds With His Church", New York Times
9. ^ "Utah Minuteman Project responds to 'Utah Compact'".
10. ^ Bob Lonsberry (15 November 2010). "Utah Compact is Offensive, Arrogant and Dishonest".
11. ^ series of eight articles by Karen Johnson on the Utah Compact

## External links

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* Official website
* Peggy Fletcher Stack, "LDS Panned on Immigration," Salt Lake Tribune, April 20, 2011
* Stewart J Lawrence, "The Latter Day Saints come marching in: Immigration reform has eluded the Obama administration. But a Mormon-backed Republican initiative in Utah may hold the key," The Guardian, March 21, 2010

* v
* t
* e

Immigration to the United States and related topics

Relevant colonial era,
United States and
international laws

| 18th century|

* Nationality law in the American Colonies
* Plantation Act of 1740
* Naturalization Act of 1790 / 1795 / 1798

|

19th century|

* Naturalization Act of 1802
* Act to Encourage Immigration (1864)
* Civil Rights Act of 1866
* 14th Amendment (1868)
* Naturalization Act of 1870
* Page Act of 1875
* Immigration Act of 1882
* Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
* Scott Act of 1888
* Immigration Act of 1891
* Geary Act of 1892

20th century|

* Immigration Act of 1903
* Naturalization Act of 1906
* Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907
* Immigration Act of 1907
* Immigration Act of 1917
* Immigration Act of 1918
* Emergency Quota Act of 1921
* Cable Act of 1922
* Immigration Act of 1924
* Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
* Philippine Independence Act of 1934
* Filipino Repatriation Act of 1935
* Nationality Act of 1940
* Bracero Program (1942–1964)
* Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943
* War Brides Act of 1945
* Alien Fiancées and Fiancés Act of 1946
* Luce–Celler Act of 1946
* UN Refugee Convention (1951)
* Immigration and Nationality Act 1952 / 1965
* Refugee Act of 1980
* Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
* Family Fairness (1987)
* Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1987
* Immigration Act of 1990
* Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994
* Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996
* Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996
* Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act of 1997
* American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998

21st century|

* American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act of 2000
* Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000
* Child Citizenship Act of 2000
* Legal Immigration Family Equity Act of 2000
* Homeland Security Act of 2002
* H-1B Visa Reform Act of 2004
* Real ID Act of 2005
* International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005
* Secure Fence Act of 2006
* Emergency Afghan Allies Extension Act of 2014
* Laken Riley Act of 2025

Visas and policies|

* Visa policy
* Permanent residence (Green card)
* Visa Waiver Program
* Temporary protected status (TPS)
* Asylum
* Green Card Lottery
* Central American Minors
* Employment authorization document (EAD card)
* Deferred action
* Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
* Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA)
* Parole
* Keeping Families Together (KFT)
* Adjustment of status
* US-VISIT
* Security Advisory Opinion
* E-Verify
* National Origins Formula
* Expedited removal
* Detention
* Family
* Unaccompanied children
* Trump administration family separation policy
* Trump travel ban

Government
organizations

* Department of Homeland Security
* Immigration and Customs Enforcement
* U.S. Border Patrol (BORTAC)
* U.S. Customs and Border Protection
* U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
* Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
* Executive Office for Immigration Review
* Board of Immigration Appeals
* Office of Refugee Resettlement

Supreme Court cases|

* Chae Chan Ping v. U.S. (1889)
* Nishimura Ekiu v. U.S. (1892)
* Fong Yue Ting v. U.S. (1893)
* U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark (1898)
* Ozawa v. U.S. (1922)
* U.S. v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923)
* Knauff v. Shaughnessy (1950)
* Harisiades v. Shaughnessy (1952)
* Shaughnessy v. Mezei (1953)
* Kleindienst v. Mandel (1972)
* U.S. v. Brignoni-Ponce (1975)
* I.N.S. v. St. Cyr (2001)
* Zadvydas v. Davis (2001)
* Chamber of Commerce v. Whiting (2011)
* Trump v. Hawaii (2018)
* D.H.S. v. Regents of the Univ. of Cal. (2020)
* D.H.S. v. Thuraissigiam (2020)
* Department of State v. Muñoz (2024)

Related issues
and events

* 2006 protests
* Brooks County, Texas
* Central American migrant caravans
* Economic impact
* Effects
* Eugenics in the United States
* Guest worker program
* Human trafficking
* Human smuggling
* Coyotaje
* Immigration reduction
* Immigration reform
* List of people deported from the United States
* Mexico–United States border crisis
* Mexico–United States border wall
* Labor shortage
* March for America
* Undocumented immigrant population
* Reverse immigration
* Unaccompanied minors from Central America
* Illegal immigration to the United States

Geography|

* Mexico–United States border
* Canada–United States border
* United States Border Patrol interior checkpoints

Proposed legislation|

* DREAM Act (2001–2010)
* H.R. 4437 (2005)
* McCain–Kennedy (2005)
* Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act 2006
* STRIVE Act (2007)
* Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act 2007
* Uniting American Families Act (2000–2013)
* Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013
* SAFE Act (2015)
* RAISE Act (2017)
* U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021

Immigration stations
and points of entry|

* Angel Island
* Castle Garden
* East Boston
* Ellis Island
* Otay Mesa
* San Ysidro
* Sullivan's Island
* Washington Avenue

Operations|

* "Wetback" (1954)
* "Peter Pan" (1960–1962)
* "Babylift" (1975)
* "Gatekeeper" (1994)
* "Endgame" (2003–2012)
* "Front Line" (2004–2005)
* "Streamline" (2005–present)
* "Return to Sender" (2006–2007)
* "Jump Start" (2006–2008)
* "Phalanx" (2010–2016)
* "Faithful Patriot" (2018–present)

State legislation|

* California DREAM Act (2006–2010)
* Arizona SB 1070 (2010)
* Alabama HB 56 (2011)

Non-governmental
organizations

* Arizona Border Recon
* California Coalition for Immigration Reform
* CASA of Maryland
* Center for Immigration Studies
* Center for Migration Studies of New York
* Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
* Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
* Community Change
* Federation for American Immigration Reform
* Improve The Dream
* Mexica Movement
* Mexicans Without Borders
* Migration Policy Institute
* Minuteman Civil Defense Corps
* Minuteman Project
* National Immigration Forum
* National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
* Negative Population Growth
* No More Deaths
* NumbersUSA
* Save Our State
* Utah Compact

Documentaries|

* Borderland (TV series)
* Missing in Brooks County

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