Immigration in Utah: Finding balance between fear and freedom

SALT LAKE CITY — Heightened federal immigration enforcement is sending waves of fear through Utah communities and reigniting debate over how to balance public safety, economic pressures and humane treatment for immigrant families.

During a special hourlong discussion on immigration, Utah leaders and legal experts described how intensified Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity nationwide is affecting families thousands of miles from the border, including those with legal status and U.S.-born children.

 

Fear rippling through Utah communities

Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, who is a member of the immigrant community, said Utahns are closely watching enforcement actions in other states and fearing similar encounters here.

“In a way, people think, well, Utah seems safer,” Escamilla said. “But the reality is, we live in a world where distances don’t matter when you have social media. We’re seeing the videos, and it’s having a real effect on people.”

She said fear now extends beyond undocumented immigrants to Hispanic and Latino U.S. citizens who are wary of interactions with law enforcement.

“These are U.S. citizens born in this country that, because they are Hispanic or Latino or brown, basically, they are living fearfully,” Escamilla said.

Escamilla said Utah families are being disrupted as people may avoid work, shopping and even school due to reports of detentions, adding that attendance can drop when enforcement activity is rumored in a neighborhood.

“What’s sad is it doesn’t only affect one person in the family,” she said. “It affects everyone.”

Local governments caught in the middle

On the other side of the issue, Riverton City Councilman Andy Pierucci, who spoke to KSL on behalf of his own views, said Utah communities are struggling with infrastructure and planning challenges tied to immigration while federal policies continue to shift.

“We love people. We care. We want to treat our neighbors well,” Pierucci said. “We also respect the rule of law. And that’s where there’s conflict.”

Pierucci said Utah’s undocumented population has more than doubled since 2019, straining housing, transportation and public services, while leaving local governments to adapt without long-term clarity.

“It’s impossible to plan infrastructure, roads, housing and supply for the whims of political shifts in immigration enforcement,” he said.

Pierucci said the immigration system itself is at the root of many challenges.

“It’s completely broken,” Pierucci said. “Local taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for federal failure.”

What ‘doing it right’ actually looks like

Immigration attorney Carlos Trujillo said much of the public debate misunderstands how legal immigration works, noting that many pathways are slow, complex and governed by outdated laws.

“There’s this misconception that there’s a golden door that magically opens,” Trujillo said. “That’s not reality.”

He said many immigrants who are following legal processes, including asylum claims, family petitions or crime-victim visas, still face detention while waiting years for hearings.

“You are doing it the right way. You are following the law,” Trujillo said. “And now, because the system is not efficient, you’re going to pay the consequences.”

A system straining families and courts

Trujillo, who immigrated to the U.S. from Venezuela more than two decades ago, described an immigration system that has swung between extremes without meaningful reform from Congress.

He acknowledged that border enforcement was necessary after prior surges but warned that the current approach is increasingly targeting legal immigration and tearing families apart unnecessarily.

“There are some loopholes that need to be fixed. But at the same time, some too many people have given themselves to help the economy, to raise a family, to actually, you know, do everything that they can to be the best to their communities,” Trujillo said. “And they still live in fear. They wake up and they get out of their houses, and they do not know if they’re going to be back in the afternoon.”

Trujillo noted that less than 10% of immigrants have serious criminal records, countering the perception that enforcement efforts primarily target dangerous individuals.

How Utahns can help

According to Escamilla, families are being encouraged to create emergency plans, establish legal guardianship for children, secure copies of important documents, and seek trustworthy legal guidance. Community members can help by supporting nonprofit legal organizations, volunteering, or assisting with legal defense funds.

Trujillo urged Utahns to raise their voice in the proper way: “Talk to your representatives. Make your voice heard,” he said.

Despite differences in perspectives, there was agreement that lasting solutions depend on congressional action to modernize immigration law and provide stability for families, communities and local governments across Utah.

“Whether we agree with the enforcement effort right now or don’t, we need to put the onus on Congress to take action, to actually do meaningful immigration reform while treating people like people as humanely as possible, helping them navigate this process while enforcing the laws,” Pierucci stated.

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