Utah OK with new immigration enforcement

SALT LAKE CITY, May 13 (UPI) -- Utah business leaders and Latino activists are expressing support for the federal government's recent shift in immigration enforcement policy.

The reaction in the state has been largely positive toward the new emphasis on crackdowns against companies that hire illegal immigrants rather than on rounding up the workers themselves.

"All businesses really want is a level playing field between them and their competitors," Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce spokesman Marty Carpenter told the Salt Lake Tribune. "It is disadvantageous for a business to compete against another who hires employees for a lower amount because they are breaking the law."

Latino community activist Tony Yapias said he hoped the new policy would lead to less exploitation of undocumented workers by employers who threaten them with deportation.

Bill Barton of the anti-immigration group Save Utah said tightening up employment restrictions would discourage illegal immigrants from coming to the state.