Compassion doctrine

Despite calls for compassion from local religious leaders, notably Elder Marlin Jensen of the LDS Church and Bishop John Wester of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake, this legislative session was decidedly uncompassionate towards undocumented or illegal immigrants (choose your own adjective) currently residing in the Beehive State.

The flocks of faithful tended by these religious shepherds extend far beyond either the borders of our state or our country. As such, these leaders are justified in speaking out on their behalf - to suggest that we remember that these are human beings we’re talking about, and not simply countless and faceless statistics.

Elder Jensen compared the phenomenon to someone coming onto another person's property uninvited, saying "there is nothing inherent or wrong about that status." Bishop Wester pointed out that "Jesus was a man on the move - an immigrant if you will."

Clearly the calls for compassion fell on deaf ears in the Utah legislature. When Senate Bill 81 takes effect in July 2009, these "unwanted and unwelcome" migrants will find that life for them has become much more difficult. It will be more difficult to find employment and housing, and Utah employers and landlords will bear the burdens and face the penalties of compliance and noncompliance.

It’s unfortunate that SB97 died in the closing moments of the legislative session. This bill at least pretended to approach this complex issue with some thoughtfulness, by creating a task force to study the economic impact of illegal immigration.

Nevertheless, it is still a cop-out to oversimplify the situation by looking at only the economic figures in order to make a dispassionate decision about an issue that is clearly about much more than money.

By passing SB81, and failing SB97 legislators have decided that ignorance is bliss, when it comes to understanding the realities of this situation. Where Elder Jensen called for legislators to "measure twice before they cut," legislators have chosen the opposite tact.

Legislators have also ignored Bishop Wester's cautionary reminder of the biblical account of Mary and Joseph's own efforts to find a place to stay, deciding that there is no room at our inn.