This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I read "Analysis: The looming conflict between Trump's immigration sweeps and religious freedom" (Feb. 12). Every day there appears to be a new headline regarding immigration. It has been pushed into focus ever since President Donald Trump announced his decision to run.
But immigration is not a new problem. Our nation's immigration policy has been broken for years. It has been more than 30 years since Congress passed any major legislation to update it. Our immigration problem can no longer be ignored. There is no doubt that Congress needs to work hard to achieve comprehensive immigration reform and that will take time.
However, in the meantime, Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Jason Chaffetz need to find a practical and humane solution for individuals who received protections through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
There are over 700,000 DACA recipients in the country contributing to our economy, studying, working and paying taxes. If DACA is repealed without being concurrently replaced with legislation, they would lose their jobs and be subject to deportation. This would have an enormous negative impact on our economy.
I believe that Hatch and Chaffetz should support the BRIDGE (Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy) Act to protect DACA recipients.
Kolton Seeborg
Draper