The Utah Compact is a declaration of five principles whose stated purpose is to "guide
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
's immigration discussion." At a ceremony held on the grounds of the
Utah State Capitol on November 11, 2010, it was signed by business, law enforcement and religious leaders including the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, and by various other community leaders and individuals.
Principles
The Principles of the Utah Compact are
# Federal Solutions. Immigration, including border policy is a federal issue.
# Law Enforcement. Law Enforcement should have discretion. Local law enforcement should focus on criminal activity rather than violations of federal civil code.
# Families. Stating opposition to policies that unnecessarily separate families.
# Economy. Recognition of the economic role of immigrants. Advocates support for free market policies to maximize individual freedom and opportunity.
# A Free Society. Recognition that immigrants are part of society. States the need for a "humane approach to this reality, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion.
Reception
Among supporters, the compact was complimented in a
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
editorial as coming from "people of good sense and good will".
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church) notably endorsed the Compact via a public statement, though it declined to sign the Compact itself. The LDS Church counts about half of Utah's residents as its adherents, but the Compact is more controversial in Utah
Mormon culture #REDIRECT Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints #REDIRECT Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints {{R from other capitalisation ... {{R from other capitalisation ...
, and former Arizona State Senator Karen Johnson to contain deliberately misleading language intended to subtly promote tolerance of illegal immigration, opposition to enforcement of immigration law, and
for illegal aliens.