The 23-year-old did not fully support a guest worker program and thought undocumented immigrants took jobs away from Americans and didn't pay taxes.

But after researching immigration for more than a year, Flynn said he now realizes that undocumented workers make contributions to the community and U.S. economy.

"We couldn't do it without them . . . we depend so much on them," he said. "A lot of the jobs they take are jobs that a lot of Americans won't do."

Flynn was among 11 U. honor students who studied immigration as part of an Honors Think Tank that authored a report titled "Immigration in Context: A Resource Guide for Utah."

The 87-page study does not take a side in the immigration debate; instead it provides readers with information about the topic so they can make their own decisions, students said.

Eric Peterson, a 24-year-old U. senior and Utah native, said sometimes Americans are intimidated by immigrants and make decisions on immigration based on stereotypes, such as the notion that immigrants don't want to adapt to their new communities.

"Both sides suffer from not being educated enough about immigration," he said. "We wanted to resolve some myths and provide some facts."

The report is scheduled to be released publicly today. One thousand copies were published and will be distributed among Utah community leaders, state and federal lawmakers and educators, said Colleen Casto, a co-instructor of the honors think tank class.

The report touches on various issues, including the history of immigration and federal legislation; the economic and fiscal impact of immigrants; the media's influence on the debate and the process of becoming a legal U.S. resident. It also includes an immigrant resource guide, which lists groups and services in the Salt Lake City area that are available to immigrants.

The honors class was made up of 11 U. students - including four minorities - from different areas of study, levels and backgrounds, Casto said.

"When they first came to together, it was very difficult because they were from such varied backgrounds," she said. "They didn't agree by any means on immigration."

But after learning more about immigration and taking a 10-day visit to a city and small farming towns in Michoacan, Mexico, the students hashed through their issues to find a way to work together, Casto said.

"They might not all agree on one solution . . . but they wanted to clarify the issues."

For Flynn, the trip gave him a better perception on why undocumented immigrants come searching for better paying jobs.

He said most Mexicans don't have home necessities, such as a washer and dryer, and drive old, beat-up cars that are shared among a family.

He knows some Utahns, even some of his own relatives, say, "It's the law. They need to come here legally."

But, Flynn said, there's a problem and people also need to ask, "Why are they coming here?"

jsanchez@sltrib.com