Utah protest at Grand America Hotel over immigrant rights
Salt Lake City, Utah – Activists gathered here, July 16, for an emergency action outside the National Governors’ Association Conference, protesting the Grand America Hotel’s attack on immigrants. Last year Utah legislators passed SB 251, which requires all businesses with more than 15 employees to use the E-verify system to track workers. However, the Utah state government refused to include any penalties for businesses that refuse to use E-verify, in part because the politicians did not want to hurt big corporations that exploit immigrant labor. The Grand America Hotel bosses set a July 6 deadline for all of the employees. The bosses require that all workers reapply and either show the necessary documentation or face immediate termination. However, the bosses extended this deadline one month, to Aug. 6 in order to ensure staffing at the Governors’ Conference.