As immigration enforcement action rises, Utah will focus on ‘anybody with criminal activity’

SALT LAKE CITY — As federal authorities step up efforts in Chicago and other locales to apprehend immigrants in the United States illegally, a Utah Department of Public Safety official says that agency’s role in any initiative here would focus on suspected criminals.

The agency’s focus in cooperating with federal authorities, as outlined by Gov. Spencer Cox late last November, is “on anybody with criminal activity,” said Hillary Koellner, the department spokeswoman. If State Bureau of Investigations officials, for instance, detain alleged drug dealers “distributing high amounts of drugs” and subsequently learn they’re here illegally, she said, “we’re obviously going to contact (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement), but first we’re going to arrest them just like any other person.”

Utah Highway Patrol troopers, she went on, won’t be carrying out checks to determine the migratory status of people. Likewise, Utah law enforcement officials, she said, aren’t authorized to make arrests for federal immigration offenses. “They would have to be arrested for something else, whether they have an arrest warrant or they committed a crime that would require us arresting them,” she said.

At any rate, as federal immigration officials have boosted efforts to detain immigrants in the country illegally in line with President Donald Trump’s focus on the issue, some in Utah’s immigrant community are reacting via social media with consternation.

Trump, who took office on Jan. 20, has vowed to deport immigrants here illegally, with a focus on those with criminal backgrounds. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement rep didn’t respond to a query Monday seeking information on ICE activity in Utah. But any alarm, rumors and reports notwithstanding, there doesn’t appear to be widespread enforcement action in the state.

Comunidades Unidas, a West Valley City-based immigrant advocacy group, “has heard many reports of ICE agents around the county but no confirmed raid thus far, and all of the sightings that have been reported have not been confirmed yet,” said Cynthia Ponce-Orellana. She’s an organizer with the organization.

Koellner offered cautionary words amid uncorroborated reports of actions around Utah allegedly involving immigration officials. “Definitely there’s a lot of misinformation that we’re seeing,” she said. “Make sure you’re verifying who your sources are and (know) that our police forces, they’re after people who are a harm to public safety.”

A handful of social media posters have reported incidents in Salt Lake County allegedly involving federal immigration officials. A website posting information on “verified sightings” lists around 10 alleged encounters, most in Salt Lake County. Some contain photos or videos, including two with people wearing garb reading “Police ICE.”

The situation has drawn the attention of Native American leaders in and around Utah. The Ute Indian Tribe issued a notice on Saturday advising tribal members to carry identification in the event they’re confronted by ICE agents and to stay calm, among other things.

“The Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee is issuing this notice in response to concerns about potential interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. It is our priority to ensure the safety of all our members. We will aggressively defend our rights and interests,” reads the notice. Ute officials didn’t respond to queries seeking additional info.

Likewise, leaders from the Navajo Nation, which crosses into Utah, New Mexico and Arizona where the states meet, issued statements late last week referencing reports of alleged encounters involving ICE officials and Navajo citizens. Like the Ute officials, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren advised tribal members to carry identity cards. “Having your state ID is crucial, and if you possess a CIB (Certificate of Indian Blood), it can provide an additional layer of reassurance,” he said in a statement.

At least as of last Friday, though, there had been no confirmed cases of encounters between Navajo citizens and immigration officials, said George Hardeen, Nygren’s spokesman. Likewise, the website of Operation Rainbow Bridge, tasked with responding to queries from Navajo Nation citizens on the issue, said it hadn’t substantiated any reports of incidents.

The ICE X account and newsroom are among the few government sources with information about U.S. efforts to crack down on immigrants in the country illegally. An X post Sunday said 956 people had been arrested that day as part of ICE efforts around the country and that immigration officials asked local law enforcement agencies to temporarily hold another 554 suspected immigrants here illegally. The varied posts and ICE press releases referenced action in Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Houston, New York City and Buffalo, New York.

“Targeted enforcement operations are planned arrests of known criminal aliens who threaten national security or public safety,” reads an ICE post from last Friday.