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Posted: 11:27 AM- A bill to allow state law enforcement officers to also perform as immigration agents on routine traffic stops was approved today by a House committee.
In a 6-3 vote, the House Law Enforcement and criminal Justice Committee approved HB105. The measure now heads to the House floor for a vote.
Bill sponsor Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, said the idea for the measure came from his discussions with officers in Alabama and Missouri who say they are frustrated that they cannot arrest illegal immigrants on immigration charges.
The bill would force state law enforcement agencies to go into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to train officers to also serve as ICE agents. Local law enforcement agencies could choose whether to enter the agreement.
"They're not out there head hunting or anything like that," Donnelson told lawmakers. "They just perform their regular duties like in the past."
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Scott Duncan told lawmakers he did not support or oppose the bill. He said he still had questions about how the state-ICE agreement would impact state law enforcement agencies.
Any law enforcement agency in the country can set up an agreement with ICE, says ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice.
Under federal law, local and state law enforcement agencies can work out an agreement with ICE under the 287(g) program. The process takes a few months, and ICE pays for the four-week training for officers. There are about 200 law enforcement officers in several states that are trained as ICE agents, Kice said.
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has said he opposes the bill.
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