SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Compact, which has been called a sensible approach to immigration reform, is catching on in other states.
Already, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, and Maine have crafted legislation similar to the Utah Compact. This week, Indiana legislators unveiled a compact of their own.
“The Utah Compact demonstrated to the nation that there is an alternative to Arizona-style, enforcement-only punitive legislation,” said Paul Mero, president of the Sutherland Institute, a conservative Utah-based think tank. Mero was one of the original signers of the compact and was instrumental in its creation. “The Compact calls, as did Governor Herbert, for comprehensive reform that promotes prosperity, security, and freedom in Utah. Several other states have seen how civic, religious, and community groups in Utah united to work together to find a sensible solution, and they are saying, ‘This makes sense. Let’s put something similar together in our state.'”
