The Salt Lake Chamber seeks to strengthen our economy by
pursuing immigration policies that protect the health and safety of
residents and capture a needed and valued workforce. We are interested in
long-term solutions and will not be satisfied by merely treating the
symptoms.
The key issues that must be addressed include:
- Federal inaction on immigration policy
- Utah’s current undocumented population and its affect on resources
- Utah businesses’ unmet need for both high and low skilled labor
- Public health and safety
Employer
Sponsored Work Program
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
- Albert Einstein
The proposed Utah Employer Sponsored Work Program will address the problem the state faces from an undocumented population by shifting the costs from taxpayers and the government to the temporary worker and employers for whom the workers labor. This program will also allow Utah to aggressively enforce immigration law while fueling our economy with low and high skilled labor that will fill positions that cannot be filled by citizens or authorized workers.
Passage of this program will send a message to Washington D.C. that Utah is prepared to solve this problem if the federal government continues to abdicate its responsibility to govern.
Program Specifics
Comprehensive Reform: We support comprehensive immigration reform on a state level
Federal Waivers: Gain necessary federal waivers to grant temporary work permits and have locals enforce federal laws
No Displacement of US Workers: Only jobs that cannot be filled by citizens or current authorized workers will be available to a temporary worker
Criminal Check and Health Exam: Immigrants would be admitted following US Homeland Security approvals including criminal background checks and health exam
Register with State: Requires residency notification of all guest workers, the same as any Utah licensed real estate agent, or other Utah licensed individuals
Private Sector Enforcement: Create a surety bond that the immigrant would purchase to guarantee their willingness to follow all temporary worker requirements, so the state does not foot the bill for immigration law enforcement
Basic Health Insurance Required: Withhold 15 percent of a guest worker’s wages to pay for worker’s health insurance, this would be the same and replaces the amount that US citizens now withhold for FICA
10% Withholding: 10 percent of wages will be held in an interest-bearing account that will go back to the worker after completing and keeping all requirements of the Employer Sponsored Work Program
Auto Insurance
Required: No fault auto insurance required—as it is for all Utahns.
Immigration
Comprehensive Reform: We support comprehensive immigration reform on a state level 
