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Latino group holds welcome rally for President Obama

By Ben Lockhart

April 2nd, 2015 @ 10:43pm

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SALT LAKE CITY Several dozen immigrants and their supporters met in Liberty Park on Thursday to give speeches welcoming President Barack Obama to Utah and praising his efforts to enact immigration reform.

The rally was staged by Proyecto Latino de Utah, an advocacy organization for the Latino community in the state. Tony Yapias, director of the group, said he wants President Obama to understand there is a sizable Latino population in Utah that supports the executive actions on immigration he issued in November.

"We know executive actions work, Yapias said. "We know families are more prosperous when theyre paying taxes, going to school, getting an education.

Obamas most recent executive actions, issued Nov. 20, would defer the deportations of immigrants under 30 years old who came to the United States as children. They would also make provisions for immigrants who pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering and math degrees and who invest while they are in the United States.

Deferred deportations of young immigrants were blocked by a federal judge in February. A coalition of 26 states oppose Obamas orders and hope to defeat it in a lawsuit that argues the order exceed his constitutional authority.

Yapias said he is disappointed Utah is among that those who joined the coalition and called on Gov. Gary Herbert and Attorney General Sean Reyes to remove Utah from that group.

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Latino group holds welcome rally for President Obama