UTAHNS are upset over ICE actively increasing deportations in Utah.
AS of January 2025, the Trump administration introduced new ICE deportation policies to deport more people. They also invoked an act to deport more people, and this act is called the “Alien Enemies Act.”
THIS act is used to deport suspected immigrants with limited or no due process quickly. This policy act prompted ICE to make agreements with local law enforcement in Utah to start deporting more immigrants from Utah. This agreement is known as the, “287 (g) program” according to ice.gov
IN this program, there are two types of cooperation between the police and ICE. The first type of cooperation is called Task Force cooperation. This allows local officers to receive training about enforcing some immigration laws while performing their duties.
THE second type of cooperation in this program is called Jail Enforcement. This allows officers to receive training to screen inmates for immigration violations. If a violation is found, officers are then allowed to place immigration holds and they have to notify ICE.
THE Riverton police department was the first to enter an official agreement with ICE to cooperate and assist them in apprehending undocumented immigrants. Over the spring and summer, many Utah counties have made agreements with ICE. Salt Lake City and Ogden are the two most popular cities where ICE is active; however ICE is active everywhere in Utah.
ONE way they check for immigrants is by the new Supreme Court ruling, which allows ICE to use race and language as a factor for checking immigration status. Another way ICE checks people is when a police officer makes a traffic stop and has reasonable suspicion of an immigration violation. ICE can also legally conduct its own traffic stops if they have reasonable suspicion of a violation.
“THE number of arrests has ‘nearly tripled each month’ in the state of Utah since Trump took office,” as stated on the deseret.com website. In June 2025, protests were held in Salt Lake City advocating against ICE, with over one thousand people in attendance.
