We asked Utah’s 2024 governor candidates about immigration. Here’s what they said.

Immigration and the tussle over what states can and should do to respond are issues on voters’ minds ahead of the 2024 elections. The Salt Lake Tribune asked each of the candidates for governor what actions they would take as the Beehive State’s top executive and what they believe is the proper role for the state in a national issue.

Some of these answers have been edited for length, clarity and grammar.

Republican candidates

Gov. Spencer Cox

Q1. What are your priorities with respect to immigration?

My immediate priority is to change the asylum system. We need to make it much harder to make an invalid claim and we need to process the claims much faster. The overwhelming majority of those crossing the southern border are now claiming asylum even though very few of those claims are ultimately successful. The dramatic increase in those asylum seekers arriving in Utah and across the nation is overwhelming our social services. On top of the asylum loophole, the influx of fentanyl, aided by a porous border and cartels that control border traffic, is killing thousands of people. I’ve communicated with my fellow governors consistently and forcefully to both President [Joe] Biden and Congress the nature of the crisis and that we need to secure the border and fix legal immigration. There is broad agreement on these two priorities and now it’s time to act.

Q2. If you are governor, what would be the state’s proper role with respect to immigration?

The U.S. Constitution is very clear that immigration is a federal issue, but states have had to step in because of the lack of action by Biden and Congress. We’re doing our part to strengthen border security by sending Utah National Guard members and state troopers to assist where needed. We’ve been working with sheriffs and law enforcement from across the state to force the federal government to take responsibility and deal with illegal immigrants who commit crimes. If the federal government won’t act, I’ll continue to push for strategies that protect states. On legal immigration, I would support the idea that Rep. Curtis proposed that would put states in the driver’s seat and not be so dependent on federal visa rules that were set long ago and don’t reflect our current economy.

Q3. Do you support Texas legislation that would allow the state to detain and deport people in the country illegally? Would you support similar legislation in Utah?

I am supportive of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his leadership on this critical issue. They are at their wits’ end and frustrated by the federal government’s failures. I am hopeful that Republicans are able to take back the U.S. Senate in the upcoming election and push forward nationwide legislation to curb illegal immigration rather than forcing individual states to pursue piecemeal legislation that is unable to get to the root of the problem.

Q4. In 2011, various groups signed the Utah Compact. Do you support the principles of the Compact? Do you support the guest worker legislation and driving privilege cards that were passed by the Utah Legislature?

I continue to support the principles of the Utah Compact. As we fix legal immigration, we absolutely must change the incentives that have led to false claims of asylum. The warping of the asylum process is overwhelming our states and hurting those who truly are escaping persecution in their home country and now have to wait years for their claims to be adjudicated. There is nothing in the Utah Compact that says we can’t protect our border.

Q5. Do you believe there should be a path to citizenship or legal residency for the children of undocumented immigrants who were not born in but brought into the United States?

As with broader immigration reform, Congress must enact legislation to resolve these issues rather than leaving it to the whims of whoever currently occupies the White House. Failure to do so is a dereliction of their duties.

Q6. What else should voters know about your views on immigration policy?

Utah never has been and never will be a sanctuary state. I will never bend on that.

Carson Jorgensen

Q1. What are your priorities with respect to immigration?

After three years of uncontrolled, lawless open borders under the Biden Administration, my normal views on immigration are moot. I am not anti-immigration. However, the orchestrated debacle we have endured these past three years is not immigration, it is invasion.

Q2. If you are governor, what would be the state’s proper role with respect to immigration?

As governor, I would deploy every legal means available — and seek to expand those means — to halt all illegal immigration and begin the process of removing illegal aliens from the state of Utah, preferably by deportation.

Q3. Do you support Texas legislation that would allow the state to detain and deport people in the country illegally? Would you support similar legislation in Utah?

I do support the Texas legislation. When the federal government fails to fulfill its lawful obligations — and especially when that failure is intentional — I believe it is within the purview of the states to take actions necessary to remedy that failure. What’s more, I believe Utah should have immediately taken an active and supportive role in assisting Texas by all legal means, including personnel on the ground. I believe the future of federalism is states working together to resolve the federal government’s failures, breaches of faith, and overreaches.

Q4. In 2011, various groups signed the Utah Compact. Do you support the principles of the Compact? Do you support the guest worker legislation and driving privilege cards that were passed by the Utah Legislature?

While I support principles of compassion and respect, in the circumstances that now confront Utah and other states, I cannot currently support the Utah Compact. As such, I cannot support the guest worker or driving privilege provisions.

Q5. Do you believe there should be a path to citizenship or legal residency for the children of undocumented immigrants who were not born in but brought into the United States?

As to DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals], again because of the generational harms and willful disregard for the law on the part of this administration, I cannot support any path to citizenship for those in our country illegally.

Q6. What else should voters know about your views on immigration policy?

As governor, Utah would first assess the damage done by the Biden border invasion and report it publicly. Unlike the current executive, I would identify and track how many migrants have entered Utah illegally and report it publicly. Absent an option to deport, I would follow the lead of other states in transporting as many illegal aliens as possible to so-called “sanctuary states” that have openly declared their willingness to accept and support them.

Phil Lyman

Q1. What are your priorities with respect to immigration?

When it comes to immigration, I believe in a tolerable administration of the law. If the federal government does not protect the nation’s boundaries from illegal immigration, then it is the duty of the states to protect themselves. I would start with detaining noncitizens who are arrested and would disregard the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement regulations for those who have violated Utah laws.

Q2. If you are governor, what would be the state’s proper role with respect to immigration?

The state has an obligation to the citizens of Utah. The proper role would be to insist that the federal government remove noncitizens who are here illegally.

Q3. Do you support Texas legislation that would allow the state to detain and deport people in the country illegally? Would you support similar legislation in Utah?

Yes.

Q4. In 2011, various groups signed the Utah Compact. Do you support the principles of the Compact? Do you support the guest worker legislation and driving privilege cards that were passed by the Utah Legislature?

I do not support the principles of the Compact. I do support legal immigration and legal guest workers in Utah. I voted in favor of the driver’s license for legal guest workers. Seeing how the census and the voting roles have failed to take the “legal” distinction into account, I would support repeal of the driver’s license provision.

Q5. Do you believe there should be a path to citizenship or legal residency for the children of undocumented immigrants who were not born in but brought into the United States?

There is a path for these parents and children, but it means obtaining a legal working or living accommodation.

Q6. What else should voters know about your views on immigration policy?

County commissioners are elected to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of their counties. Sheriffs are elected by county citizens and charged with the same duty. Our Sheriffs are the people’s most respected elected officials. They do amazing work. They arrest and detain criminals, but if those criminals happen to be noncitizens, ICE requires they be released after 72 hours unless given permission by ICE to hold them longer. This is a federal rule more honored in the breach than in the observance. The Governor should let judges know that he expects them to hold criminals regardless of federal rules. If a state does not nullify unconstitutional or untenable federal laws that are detrimental to the citizens of the state, then the state is not a state at all but a vassal subunit of the federal government.

Sylvia Miera-Fisk

Q1. What are your priorities with respect to immigration?

Laws on legal immigration must be enforced and our constitution must be upheld. Citizens of the country and of the state of Utah are always to be protected and sustained. That answer goes for the next point brought up.

Q2. If you are governor, what would be the state’s proper role with respect to immigration?

No response.

Q3. Do you support Texas legislation that would allow the state to detain and deport people in the country illegally? Would you support similar legislation in Utah?

Absolutely. Texas has a moral and legal duty to protect its citizens that honors and enforces the laws of this land and honors our constitution of the United States of America, always. Each state likewise has its individual needs in dealing with immigration. Legal immigration is a completely different issue than the crisis of illegal immigration facing our country today.

Q4. In 2011, various groups signed the Utah Compact. Do you support the principles of the Compact? Do you support the guest worker legislation and driving privilege cards that were passed by the Utah Legislature?

Who and why was the Compact written and for what purpose? I know very little of this compact and those who support and signed it. I have no opinion until I can research it. Driver license and driving privileges have laws and rules in obtaining them, and instead of creating loopholes around laws, our legislature should be working on ways to enforce laws instead of ways around honoring them.

Q5. Do you believe there should be a path to citizenship or legal residency for the children of undocumented immigrants who were not born in but brought into the United States?

The issue of the “Dreamers” is in the past. However, it revealed the need to reform the process of obtaining legal status and citizenship in similar situations. If there are still those in need of rectifying their status it needs to be resolved.

Q6. What else should voters know about your views on immigration policy?

Families, especially parents risking the safety of their families and possible separation by entering any country illegally, are solely the responsibility of those heads of family — i.e. the parents.

The United States of America is well within its rights to establish laws for citizenship and to enforce and honor our Constitution. As the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants who came to this country from Mexico legally, but more importantly as the descendant of the original citizens of this continent over 2,000 years ago, enforcing our laws is vital to the structure, safety and prosperity of the United States of America. By not doing so, we are at risk of losing our country, as happened upon establishing this new government from the original native Americans almost 250 years ago.

Come to this country, come to Utah, but come legally and honorably.

Scott Robbins

Q1. What are your priorities with respect to immigration?

My priority with immigration is to the people of Utah — how immigration can benefit us. My other priority is to prevent and punish all future illegal immigration.

Q2. If you are governor, what would be the state’s proper role with respect to immigration?

President Biden and the Department of Homeland Security are supporting a full-on foreign invasion into our country. They are traitors to our people. Because of this, Utah must solve immigration for itself. We must put an end to illegal immigration. We must protect the lives of our families and people.

Q3. Do you support Texas legislation that would allow the state to detain and deport people in the country illegally? Would you support similar legislation in Utah?

Definitely. We need a permanent, lasting solution to illegal immigration. I am tired of reading another girl was raped by an illegal immigrant, or another Utahn was killed by an illegal immigrant, or another Utahn died from a fentanyl overdose. Housing is unaffordable, and over 100,000 illegal immigrants in Utah contribute to that. We have unhoused white, Black, and Latino Utahns, yet we prioritize illegal immigrants over them? It’s time to set things straight and fix this problem once and for all.

Q4. In 2011, various groups signed the Utah Compact. Do you support the principles of the Compact? Do you support the guest worker legislation and driving privilege cards that were passed by the Utah Legislature?

I think most of the principles were good principles. Though, the compact left off one very important detail — the treatment of Utahns by foreigners. They also need to treat us with dignity and respect. Our people’s well-being comes first. That should have been top priority on the compact.

Utah should be in control of its own immigration since the Biden administration is only interested in replacing us to steal more votes. Our first priority needs to be to employ Americans. Only after should we seek to use foreigners. I think we can help some of the illegal immigrants who have grown up here with certain privileges, but we need to enforce immigration and have a cut-off date for any and all privileges to prevent future illegal immigration.

Q5. Do you believe there should be a path to citizenship or legal residency for the children of undocumented immigrants who were not born in but brought into the United States?

I recognize some illegal immigrants have family members who are citizens. I think we can help them stay with their family. But going forward, we need to end all privileges to prevent any future illegal immigration and stop rewarding behavior we don’t want. Every time we show compassion, we are taken advantage of and our people suffer as a result. It is time to give priority and compassion to the American people.

Q6. What else should voters know about your views on immigration policy?

My priority and allegiance are to the people of this great state. We deserve to live in neighborhoods where we and our children are safe, where we and our children have affordable housing and can grow up in peace and prosperity.

Democratic nominee

Brian King

Q1. What are your priorities with respect to immigration?

We are a nation of immigrants. Our state has a long history of welcoming and embracing those who come to Utah looking to build a better life, especially because that’s how many of our pioneer ancestors ended up here. We must properly balance fair and enforceable border policies with compassion and community so that our country and our state can continue to be a place where decent, hard-working people of all backgrounds can thrive.

Q2. If you are governor, what would be the state’s proper role with respect to immigration?

The constitution is clear: immigration policy falls outside of the jurisdiction of the governor of Utah. The federal government has the responsibility of managing immigration and the border.

Unfortunately, partisanship and gridlock have blocked any real immigration reform for decades. As governor, I would strongly advocate for Congress to pass a bipartisan immigration reform package that would ensure safety and security, while also creating a realistic and attainable pathway to legal immigration and citizenship. The State of Utah also has an important role to play in supporting refugees and asylum-seekers who flee dangerous situations and come here in search of the American dream.

Q3. Do you support Texas legislation that would allow the state to detain and deport people in the country illegally? Would you support similar legislation in Utah?

I do not support the recent Texas legislation, and, as governor, I would veto any similar legislation were it to pass here in Utah. It’s not only unconstitutional, but it’s just bad policy. It places the burden of enforcing federal immigration law on local law enforcement officers and judges who often lack the specialized training needed to do this work. Additionally, it adds more work for departments that often have limited resources to begin with.

Q4. In 2011, various groups signed the Utah Compact. Do you support the principles of the Compact? Do you support the guest worker legislation and driving privilege cards that were passed by the Utah Legislature?

Yes, I strongly support the values and principles of the Utah Compact. It’s worth noting that the Utah Compact was reaffirmed in 2019 by many who originally signed it in 2011. Rather than continuing to be a culture war issue or a political football, immigration reform should be handled with the seriousness and deliberation it deserves. Any conversations about immigration should recognize our shared Utah values of community, respect, freedom, and opportunity. I also support any efforts in our state to ensure that immigrants who settle here can get gainful, meaningful work and build better lives for themselves and their families.

Q5. Do you believe there should be a path to citizenship or legal residency for the children of undocumented immigrants who were not born in but brought into the United States?

I absolutely support a path to citizenship for “Dreamers.” This country is their home — they have families, careers, and businesses here. Our elected leaders should make it a priority to allow these hard-working folks to become American citizens and continue to contribute to the success of their communities.

Q6. What else should voters know about your views on immigration policy?

I believe that my view of immigration policy is in line with the majority of Utahns: I want to see Congress take real, bipartisan action to reform the immigration system, which has been used as a political prop for too long. Good immigration policies are not only in line with the basic principles of humanity, they are critically important for the economic growth of our country and state. I want to see a fair balance between security and fairness in our border policies. I also recognize that, as governor, my role would not be to create national immigration policy or fan the flames of culture wars, but rather to focus on how to best serve the needs of all Utahns.

Libertarian nominee

Rob Latham

Q1. What are your priorities with respect to immigration?

Utahns may better enjoy the blessings of migration, along with improvements in boundary management technologies, by encouraging mutual aid societies and intentional communities to “underthrow” exploitative and regimented anti-migrant systems.

The State of Utah has already implemented practical measures at the margins, such as the Utah Pilot Sponsored Resident Immigrant Program, which resembles the invitation-sponsorship model advocated by libertarian economist Hans-Hermann Hoppe.

Still, that program traps participants within Utah’s borders without a permission slip from the Department of Public Safety. “Papers, please?” A freed market in labor can develop superior and incorruptible solutions. A sign of humanity’s continued flourishing will be when humans become stateless.

And just as antebellum jurors helped nullify the predations of slave patrols, Utahns serving on juries can curb efforts at mass detention and deportation.

Q2. If you are governor, what would be the state’s proper role with respect to immigration?

Before statehood, Mormon pioneers fled the United States to an area within what was then the Mexican territory of Alta California — and is what we now call “Utah.” The State of Utah never had nor will ever have a proper role with respect to immigration, regardless of who claims to be its governor. I affirm every individual’s right to move about voluntarily and unmolested in a non-trespassory way. I oppose the transfer of funds extorted from taxpayers to immigrants for “welfare” or “resettlement payments.”

Q3. Do you support Texas legislation that would allow the state to detain and deport people in the country illegally? Would you support similar legislation in Utah?

Prudence counsels patience for a final decision on the ongoing judicial review of Texas’s Senate Bill 4 before considering similar legislation in Utah. Furthermore, the geographic separation between Utah and Texas disfavors making the federal government’s failure there a pressing need to wastefully expend funds extorted from taxpayers here.

Q4. In 2011, various groups signed the Utah Compact. Do you support the principles of the Compact? Do you support the guest worker legislation and driving privilege cards that were passed by the Utah Legislature?

The Utah Compact on Immigration contains laudable language about families, a free-market economy, and a free society. The Compact fails by relying on the same federal government that created the problem — and will be $36 trillion in debt by year’s end — to fix (along with socialized, perversely-incentivized, under-resourced, understaffed, and increasingly Potemkinized law enforcement agencies) what is broken and inhumane by design.

I do not support guest worker legislation because I do not support any legislation infringing on our right to work unrestricted. We all have a right to work peacefully and honestly. Similarly, I do not support driving privilege cards because driving should not be a privilege for anyone who has the permission of the owners of properties, such as thoroughfares, to operate a vehicle thereon. Neither driving privilege cards nor a driver license make one a safe driver, but they can restrict movement by operating as an internal passport. Profit-minded thoroughfare owners will only make their highways available to accredited drivers, and wise motorists will travel only on thoroughfares so regulated.

Q5. Do you believe there should be a path to citizenship or legal residency for the children of undocumented immigrants who were not born in but brought into the United States?

Pointing a ballot at a member of the political class will not change the channel, like some kind of electoral remote control, to a desired outcome. During a month-long study at an ashram, I learned about a swami who, believing that borders are only mental constructs to overcome, flew his “Peace Plane” over conflict zones in the early 1970s. Non-aggressive, direct actions will restore a world in which there are no passports, visas, or other papers required to cross borders before voting will.

Q6. What else should voters know about your views on immigration policy?

One of the key points of the Libertarian Party Radical Caucus, of which I have been a member, is “No Particular Order.” The point explains that “[t]he removal of one harmful government policy should never be held hostage for the removal of another, as this throws self-imposed barriers in the path of liberty and removes potential pressures for change. For example, saying that borders may be opened only after welfare is eliminated is unacceptable; the proper position is to push for both changes. Should we succeed in achieving open borders only to find that welfare burdens are increased, this should be used as an additional argument to abolish welfare.” I agree.

Unaffiliated candidate

Tom Tomeny

[Tomeny did not directly answer the questions. This is a portion of his reply.]

Q1. What are your priorities with respect to immigration?

The natural limit on immigration to both the U.S. and Utah is financial.

As we close the public purse, there can be less taxes and more freedom, which is proven to produce both prosperity and high growth. Fortunately, a system of less taxes and more freedom is something that exports well, and, as we set an example here in Utah for the U.S. and the rest of the world, other areas can and will emulate us and their populations will tend to stay where they are when they live under new regimes with more freedom, which produces more prosperity.

A governor’s job is to put forth a vision that is worthy of the people who are governed. My vision is of a frugal government that allows private individuals and institutions to voluntarily care for their neighbors, even newly arrived ones.

The “problem” of immigration has been created by the opening of the public purse. When we close the public purse, we open the door to immigrants who are self-reliant and can become wonderful citizens.

Editor’s Note: Gov Spencer Cox’s campaign provided their responses after the initial publication of this story. Those responses have been added above.