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Utah House Republicans unveil public‑safety bill package targeting immigration impacts, fentanyl and squatting
Summary
Utah House Republican leaders outlined a package of public‑safety bills they say respond to strains from recent immigration flows, proposing to raise certain misdemeanor penalties to enable federal deportation, strengthen anti‑squatting laws, increase penalties for fentanyl trafficking and expand interdiction units.
Representative Sam Lisenby opened a news briefing, saying "It is no secret that the Biden administration has failed to secure the southern border," and announcing a package of bills House Republicans say will reduce crime and relieve local services strained by recent migration.
The package — described by lawmakers as focused on public safety — includes a proposal to change a Class A misdemeanor threshold so some offenders would face a 365‑day sentence instead of 364 days, which Representative Perucci said would allow federal immigration authorities to pursue deportation after an offender serves a year in custody. "This bill will do just that," Perucci said, arguing the change is aimed at people who entered the U.S. illegally and then committed crimes in Utah.
Perucci, who represents the Herriman‑Riverton area, said her district has seen large increases in foreign‑born residents and immigration cases, and that schools and…
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