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Immigration Reform Panel to Send Actionable Ideas Back to the White House

Bob Nelson

Acting at the request of the White House, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and Summit County Councilman David Ure  moderated a roundtable discussion on immigration reform today. The more than a dozen panelists were from religious, law enforcement, business and community activist groups. They focused on community, the economy and the immigrant people. Mayor Becker says increased trust come from these efforts but the economic benefits will be far greater.

“With immigration reform we will get the full benefits of members of our communities and helping them and having us realize benefits from their full participation in our communities and in societies,” says Becker.

Councilman David Ure berated Congress for trying to create piece-meal legislation so they can say they voted against immigration reform.

”I think we’ve learned in some of the healthcare issues that have taken place in the last three years that sometimes they contradict each other two or three times trying to accomplish the same thing," Ure says. And it has to be comprehensive so we know that when we’re talking about the economy how it’s affecting education over here or visa-versa.”

Credit Bob Nelson
Democratic Senator Luz Robles and Republican Senator Todd Weiler (foreground) chat quietly during press conference following Immigration Reform Roundtable with a wide scope of community leaders.

Panel member Yolanda Francisco-Nez is the coordinator of the Mayor’s Office of Diversity and Rights. She says the ideas presented are actionable because of the outreach from the Whitehouse. 

”There will be a short report that goes back to the White House indicating the process that we…that occurred here in Salt Lake City and it’ll have a list of priorities and recommendations, moving forward for the White House,” Francisco-Nez says.

Mayor Becker says these are ideas for change to share as federal representatives begin their work. He says the city plans to be ready if and when the changes come.

Bob Nelson is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in mass communications. He began his radio career at KUER in 1978 when it was still in Kingsbury Hall. That’s also where he met his wife, Maria Shilaos, in 1981. Bob left KUER for commercial radio where he worked for 25 years, and he is thrilled to be back at KUER. Bob and his family are part of an explorer group, fondly known as The Hordes and Masses, which has been seeking out ghost towns and little-known places in Utah for more than twenty years.
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