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

Statement of Principles

 Benefits Utah: We recognize the power of immigration as a catalyst for positive change. 

 Addressing Core issues: We are interested in long-term solutions as opposed to politically motivated legislation that only treats symptoms. 

 Federal action: We acknowledge that any real solution requires federal cooperation and leadership. At the same time, we believe that states can and should propose innovative solutions that will motivate federal action.

 Business Primer: We recognize labor as an important economic input and immigration legislation must provide for such labor so that our economy can prosper.

 High Skilled Labor: We support policy that increases the availability of high skilled laborers in the U.S. 

 Families: We believe that immigration policy should be crafted to strengthen families. 

2009 Public Policy Priorities:

 Change the Debate: For too long Utah has been hampered by federal inaction. The Salt Lake Chamber has proposed an Employer Sponsored Work Program that addresses immigration policy in a comprehensive manner at the state level. This proposal addresses the difficulties presented by an undocumented population while also providing for the needs of Utah’s economy. it is time to send a message to Washington, D.C.—if you are not ready or willing to act, we are.

Click to view the Chamber's Employer Sponsored Work Program 

Recent Accomplishments

 Moderating Legislation: The Salt lake chamber helped refine Senate bill 81 during the 2008 legislative session. Provisions such as onerous employer verification requirements and ID cards were removed from the legislation as a result of the chamber’s efforts.

 Establishment of the Immigration Policy Coalition: The chamber co-convened and now co-chairs the Immigration Policy Coalition. This coalition is broad-based and includes religious organizations, business, non-profits and other associations and entities dedicated to the development of sound immigration policy and opposed to reactionary immigration legislation.

Impact on Business:

 Increase Productivity: Immigrants are a critical part of the U.S. workforce and contribute to productivity growth and technological advancement. 

 Critical Labor input: Immigrants make up 15 percent of all workers and even larger shares of certain occupations such as construction, food services and health care. 

 Fuel High Tech Economy: Approximately 40 percent of Ph.D. scientists working in the united States were born abroad.