Not in utah
When more than 200 Utahns crowded into the Utah County Administration Building this past July, they came to send a clear message: Not in Utah.
For over three hours, every single person who spoke during the public comment session opposed the proposal to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Members of the Provo community urged the council to resist the federal collaboration that would ultimately tear families apart.
Among them was Brigham Young University professor Rob McFarland, who warned that ICE’s tactics undermine constitutional rights and the trust the community has in law enforcement. “They [ICE] are unconcerned with the due process of law,” McFarland said, according to The Daily Utah Chronicle.¹ “[ICE] creates drama, it creates confusion, and you can’t keep up with all the new information, the court cases. This is political theatre, and I’m really going to urge us not to play with that.”
Despite the overwhelming public opposition, Utah and Salt Lake Counties signed agreements to partner with ICE.
Three months later, the warnings given by Provo residents feel all too prophetic.
Last week, a video surfaced showing a man in handcuffs outside a Home Depot, sprinting through traffic across Salt Lake City’s 2100 South as federal agents tried to chase him. Immigration attorney Adam Crayk told KSL that the agents involved were not part of ICE but rather Customs and Border Protection (CBP), demonstrating what he called the dangerous “cross-deputization” of federal agencies now participating in the immigration enforcement efforts.²
“That’s not a really good, targeted arrest,” Crayk asserted. “You get people running across traffic… it was just not handled well.”
It’s chaos, not safety. And it’s exactly the kind of “political theatre” McFarland warned of in July.
This isn’t a distant border issue; these aren’t the horrific stories we read about in Chicago or LA. It’s happening in our neighborhoods and in our streets.
And it’s also happening in the state that preaches family, faith, and compassion as its highest values.
Utahns pride themselves on being a family-centered people. Yet immigration enforcement operations routinely separate families. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that “all are alike unto God,”³ that families are eternal, and that followers of Christ must “love thy neighbor.”⁴
It is also a global church, with about 60.4% of members living outside of the United States.⁵ How can we send missionaries to foreign countries while turning away those who come to us? How can we sing “I would be my brother’s keeper”⁶ on Sunday, then look away when our brother is detained on Monday?
ICE’s growing influence directly contradicts Utah’s moral compass. It erodes the trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities. It divides families and instills fear.
Utah’s pioneer history should make this especially personal. Our ancestors were once driven out, targeted by mobs and government orders, and forced to find refuge in a desert. They came here seeking safety and belonging. That legacy should inspire us to offer the same to others.
When Utahns stand against ICE cooperation, they’re not rejecting the rule of law—they’re calling for an enforcement system that reflects our shared values of fairness, family, and faith.
We cannot build Zion while partnering with fear.
We cannot be a global church while ignoring the suffering of God’s children in our own cities.
And we cannot claim to defend family values while turning a blind eye to families being torn apart.
Because if loving our neighbors really means what we say it does, then the answer remains clear: Not in Utah County. Not in Salt Lake City. Not in Zion.