They couldn't agree on whether it was wise to be speaking Spanish, whether undocumented immigrants are criminals, how many of them live in Utah, whether they benefit the state at all nor how to solve illegal immigration.

But Utah's most-spotlighted adversaries on immigration — Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, and Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake — were civil, and even gave each other a hug before a panel discussion conducted in Spanish on Tuesday about immigration.

"We should be here speaking English, because English is the language of this country," Sandstrom complained in Spanish to an audience of about 150 at Northwest Middle School at the event sponsored by the Enriching Utah Coalition and the Salt Lake City Library.

Sandstrom, who learned Spanish as an LDS missionary in Venezuela, said he agreed to participate in Spanish to help show that his proposals for tougher immigration enforcement are not anti-Latino but instead seek to ensure the rule of law.

Robles said immigrants already know that it is important to learn English to get ahead financially in the United States, but said the event was important to talk in Spanish to help reduce confusion about immigration issues.

The two could not agree on how many undocumented immigrants live in Utah. Sandstrom contended that at least 150,000 do, while Robles said there are 110,000 — and both claimed their numbers come from the Pew Hispanic Center. (A study by that center this year estimated that 110,000 lived in Utah in 2009.)

Sandstrom said Utah has the highest percentage of undocumented immigrants of any state and is facing an unprecedented flood of illegal immigration, while Robles said they account for about 4 percent of Utah's population. "And it's irresponsible to focus all this effort on 4 percent of the population," she said.

While they agreed that initial entry without documents into the country is a civil violation and not a criminal one, Sandstrom said, "The people who are here illegally are criminals. They are robbing Social Security numbers" and committing other document fraud and crimes to remain here.

Robles said, however, that studies show undocumented immigrants commit no more street crime than other groups, despite claims by Sandstrom and others that they do.

When Sandstrom was asked if undocumented immigrants bring any benefits, he said, "It isn't important. What's important is they are not here legally, and they are robbing identification of people who are here legally."

Robles said the main problem caused by illegal immigration is "hatred by both sides," and the division in the community that it causes.

When asked about solutions, both called for securing the border. But both said that and most of the best solutions are federal responsibilities, and the federal government is not doing its job.

So Sandstrom said it is important for Utah itself to create consequences for illegal immigration. He is pushing a bill that would require police to check the immigration status of anyone stopped for a traffic offense or detained for a crime if there is a "reasonable suspicion" that the person is in the country unlawfully.

Robles, meanwhile, is pushing a bill seeking to create a pilot program where undocumented immigrants in Utah would be required to carry a state-issued work permit, learn English and be subject to criminal-background checks, while employers would face financial penalties for hiring those without the permits.

The pair appeared at the event with immigration attorneys and advocates on both sides of the immigration issue, but most attention and questions were targeted to Sandstrom and Robles.