Utah Republican Voters Support State Migrant Visa Program, Indicating Nuanced Approach to Immigration
A recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll reveals that 60% of Republican voters in Utah support a state migrant visa program, a proposal introduced by Senator John Curtis. This support is part of a broader trend showing that 64% of all Utah voters favor allowing states to manage their own temporary work visa programs for migrant workers. The bill, co-sponsored with Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to create a new nonimmigrant classification for state-sponsored workers and investors, along with their families, for up to three years. States would define employment criteria, duration, and residency, subject to Department of Homeland Security approval, and could form interstate compacts for visa holder mobility. The framework includes background checks for applicants and provisions for visa holders who have been in the U.S. illegally since December 31, 2016, to gain legal status after a background check and a $1,000 penalty. 
