Utah
Opinion: Cox’s support for Trump’s immigration policies is imprudent
Earlier this month, Gov. Spencer Cox stated that he “remained committed” to the Utah Compact on Immigration, a document first released in 2010 and reaffirmed by state leaders in 2019. Cox said, “The principles of the Compact, I think, are still very important.” That is good news for Utah. The bad news is Cox’s support for President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportation.
Cox was not elected to the Utah House of Representatives until 2012, two legislative sessions after the Utah Compact was released followed by unprecedented support by former Gov. Gary Herbert and the conservative state Legislature for comprehensive state-based immigration reform. And despite his welcome support recently for the Utah Compact, I cannot seem to locate a moment when Cox actually signed the document — though I will happily stand corrected if wrong.
My point is that supporting the principles in the Utah Compact while supporting Trump’s mass deportation plans feels a bit like double-dealing.
I am a co-author of the Utah Compact. While I ran Sutherland Institute, we played an instrumental role in changing public opinion on immigration — from 70% of Utahns favoring Trump-like enforcement-only policies early in 2010 to 70% favoring the Compact and the comprehensive reforms passed by the state Legislature in 2011. I was present from beginning to end of those historic and precedent-setting policy reforms.
In other words, I know whereof I speak when I say that the Utah Compact stands in stark contrast to Trump’s rants on mass deportation policies. The policies underlying the 2011 immigration reforms strove to bring otherwise law-abiding undocumented immigrants to the surface of society, leaving the residue of criminal immigrants for law enforcement to clean up. Utah warmly embraced existing undocumented immigrants already living among us peaceably and productively.
In contrast, Trump’s policies underlying mass deportations — insomuch as anyone knows what that means today — portray undocumented immigrants as criminals. And while the label is legally true — a person crossing our border for the first time, for any peaceful and productive reason, commits a misdemeanor — no decent Utahn would treat that person as a hardened criminal. In fact, the offense was simply an “infraction,” like a speeding ticket, when the Utah Compact was created.
I am quite sure that Gov. Cox does not really have in mind deporting every undocumented resident of Utah. The governor is a decent and prudent man, not inhumane or impractical. And yet, what does he mean by supporting Trump’s policies?
Cox announced a five-prong strategy for the state to work with federal immigration officials focusing on “criminal behavior.” Nothing about those five policies gives me concern. What does give me concern is probable overreach by the Trump administration when it deems “criminal behavior” to include otherwise law-abiding undocumented immigrants. My concern is when malum prohibitum is equated with malum in se — when an infraction or misdemeanor is equated with murder, rape and other felonies.
Prior to the historic immigration reforms in 2011, Sutherland Institute published an essay, “Onus or Opportunity: Immigration and Conservatism,” in which we made an authentic conservative argument for those comprehensive reforms.
A serious consideration for us at the time was to ensure that the growing tide of opinion favoring enforcement-only immigration policies did not produce a new police-state mentality. Authentic conservatives certainly believe in law and order but we don’t believe in police states. The Trump-Cox policies proposed are one slight interpretation away from a police state. If “criminal behavior” includes mere undocumented immigrants, authentic conservatives have reason for concern.
The principles of the Utah Compact are the most prudent model to maintain justice and humanity. I know Gov. Cox understands this in his heart.
Utah
Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.
A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.
He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.
MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche
In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.
“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.
A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
_____
Utah
911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas
CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.
LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.
Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.
The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.
MORE | Murder-Suicide
Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.
10:33 a.m. — Call 1
After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.
Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.
“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”
11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3
As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.
“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”
11:26 a.m. — Call 4
Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.
“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”
She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.
Police indicated officers were on the way.
2:26 p.m. — Call 5
Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.
Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.
“They found a note on the door.”
2:35 p.m. — Call 6
Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.
“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”
A dispatcher responded:
“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”
2:36 p.m. — Call 7
Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:
“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”
2:39 p.m. — Call 8
Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.
“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”
He repeats the details he knows for the second time.
3:13 p.m. — Call 9
Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.
“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”
Dispatch responded:
“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”
4:05 p.m. — Call 10
More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.
“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”
The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.
Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.
The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.
5:23 p.m. — Call 11
Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.
“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”
She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.
Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference
Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.
The investigation remains ongoing.
______
Utah
Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”
Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.
“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.
Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.
“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.
2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:
- Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
- Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
- Does it support a ban from classrooms?
Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.
“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.
MORE | Utah State Legislature:
Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.
“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.
“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.
The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
___
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Oklahoma1 week agoWildfires rage in Oklahoma as thousands urged to evacuate a small city
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology7 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology7 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making