Utah takes targeted approach on illegal immigration, prison gang violence in Venezuela

Several counties have received an influx of illegal border crossers, including Salt Lake County, where shelters have been at 100 percent capacity for months.

“We are seeing an increase in the number of asylum seekers, mostly from Venezuela,” a homeless advocacy group. said KSL news.

The influx of Venezuelans and others was so great that the county issued an alert in Spanish and English saying there was no room for them. The alert, “Destination Alert Utah,” states: “For your safety, please be aware of Utah’s limited resources for asylum seekers. No shelter space is available. You will not be placed in a hotel. Cheap housing is hard to come by. Food banks and other basic housekeeping services are at capacity. There are long waiting times for legal aid to apply for asylum and work permits. If you don’t have a secure, stable connection or family in Utah, consider another state to settle in the US.”

At least two alleged murders have been linked to Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan prison gang, in Herriman and Millcreek, according to arrest reports.

Greater Salt Lake Unified Police officers arrested three confirmed TdA members who were charged with aggravated burglary and five counts of aggravated assault, first-degree and third-degree felonies, respectively. They allegedly broke into a residence, holding those inside at gunpoint and threatening to kill them for “fighting with their girls,” KSL News reported. Two women claimed they were forced into prostitution; another was detained at a local hotel that was attacked, authorities said, KSL News reported.

Utah law enforcement officials first identified TdA’s criminal activity in the spring as related to smuggling operations that pose “a growing threat to public safety in Utah,” Cox said.

It is not just Venezuelans and ToA members who are increasing threats to public safety. Most of the illegal aliens convicted of crimes were convicted of sex crimes and murder, Cox said. Overall, criminal illegal aliens make up “about 4.6 percent of Utah’s prison population, costing the state nearly $16 million a year,” he said.

Over the past year, illegal drug distribution has increased along the Jordan River route “where more than half of all drug crimes this year have been committed by people who are in the country illegally,” he said.

Authorities in Utah have already turned over a large number of illegal aliens convicted of crimes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cox said previously. announcing the state’s targeted effort to support Trump’s deportation efforts.

The new effort includes “identifying additional interception points where those convicted of crimes can be turned over to ICE for deportation, sparing Utah taxpayers the cost of prison or parole.”

Last month, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, explained that his priority is to arrest and remove the criminals who pose the greatest danger to Americans, The Center Square. reported.

The Utah Departments of Public Safety and Corrections will lead efforts to “identify, incarcerate and deport multiple illegal immigrants who have committed crimes and pose a threat to public safety,” Cox said.

This includes identifying those already in the criminal justice system who are in the country illegally and working with federal agencies to remove them. Training and guidance will be provided to assist state and local authorities in identifying those incarcerated “who should be turned over” to ICE. It also involves reducing “unreasonable federal regulations and detention standards that interfere with the ability to house criminal inmates,” he said.

Utah’s newly created Fentanyl Task Force will work on “long-term solutions” and consequences to respond to illegal aliens involved in the distribution of fentanyl, and the state legislature will work on more “policy enhancements associated with criminal behavior” of illegal aliens in the next legislation. session, Cox said.

“When it comes to immigration policy, the safety of Utah residents is my top priority,” he said. “Utah will continue to welcome refugees and immigrants who enter the country legally, and we will continue to push for reforms to the asylum process and more visas to support workforce needs. However, we have zero tolerance for those who demonstrate a threat to public safety while in the country illegally.”

Cox criticized the Biden administration, saying, “Federal immigration authorities have failed in their duty to the American people and left states and localities to independently deal with the consequences of these failures. We are grateful that an administration is coming in that will take these issues seriously.”

Public Safety Commissioner Jess Anderson said criminal cartels “need to be held accountable for drug and people trafficking, including facilitating the return of previously deported criminals. We anticipate that with increased border enforcement, we can crack down on these aggravated re-entries, where deported criminals return to commit additional crimes.”

“Utanians should not have to bear the substantial financial burdens or public safety impacts associated with people who are here illegally committing crimes,” said Department of Corrections Executive Director Brian Redd. “As we develop more confidence in federal policy, it makes sense to be more aggressive in deporting those who commit crimes and victimize our communities.”