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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, December 14-17, 2019 State Supreme Court says ‘Dreamers’ can practice law Decision comes after request from DACA recipients BRADY MCCOMBS Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is set to become the latest state to allow immigrant “Dreamers” to practice law under a proposed rule issued Monday by the Utah Supreme Court. The rule came after a request last year by two women who earned law degrees from Utah universities but couldn’t practice law because they aren’t legal residents of the United States. They are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an initiative implemented during former President Barack Obama’s administration that allows young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children to remain in this country. The rule in Utah won’t take effect until a month-long public comment period closes. Utah would join several other states, including New York, California, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, New Jersey, Florida and Wyo- ming, that have similar rules, said Anthony Kaye, a Utah lawyer who represented the two women who made the request. The Utah Supreme Court said in a statement that it found it has the authority to create the rule after consulting with the state bar, law professors, the state attorney general and the state legislative research counsel. The women, whose names were withheld from the petition, were limited in their employment opportunities in their home state of Utah. One of the women was limited to doing federal immigration law and the other wasn’t working as an attorney. They had considered moving to California where they are members of the state bar, Kaye said. “That’s not where they want to be,” Kaye said. “They want to be here with their families.” Opponents of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program say the law rewards people for breaking the law, encourages illegal immigration and hurts American workers. To qualify for the 2012 program, young immigrants had to show they entered the U.S. before 2007 and before their 16th birthday. States have been updating rules to allow them to practice law as the group grows older and gets degrees. Kaye argued in a 2018 petition that the women and other program participants shouldn’t be punished for decisions made by their parents. “They are brought as children at the hands of their parents. It is unrealistic to expect children brought to the United States by their parents to leave the only country they have known,” Kaye wrote. “Many of these young people have already contributed to our country in significant ways.”’ John Mejia, legal director at the ACLU of Utah, said the rule makes sense considering program participants can already go to college and law school. “Once this rule goes into effect, it will allow the petitioners and other DACA recipients to realize the professional aspirations they have pursued for many years,” Mejia said. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently weighing whether to allow the Trump administration to end protections for the estimated 660,000 immigrants to work in the U.S., free from the threat of deportation. The administration argues that the program is unlawful because Obama did not have the authority to adopt. Utah saw large population growth over past decade Net-migration accounts for much of the increase Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — Utah experienced a significant increase in its population over the past decade, according to a new University of Utah report. The university’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute released analysis Monday that found the growth was especially strong in Utah County. The institute based its analysis on census data, tracking Utah’s population growth since 2010. The institute found Utah County’s population increase led the state at 26.1% with the addition of 134,845 people since 2010, bringing its population to more than 651,000. Salt Lake County had a 12% A-13 The Park Record increase of 123,305 people over the decade, trailing its southern neighbor in Utah County by 11,540 fewer new residents, officials said. The next highest county in population and percent change was Davis County, which added 50,485 to reach nearly 357,00 residents, an increase of 16.5%. Washington County added 42,435 people for a total of more than 180,500, a 30.7% increase. Weber County rounded out the top five in terms of growth with an increase of 22,219 residents to more than 253,400, a 9.6% increase. Utah’s population is now at 3.2 million people, officials said. Gardner institute researchers found almost half of new residents in the past year moved from other states or from abroad, contributing almost 25,000 people. “Salt Lake County obviously still has a lot of jobs and a lot of people. But Utah County is really starting to take over that growth,” said Emily Harris, a demographer at the institute. The institute found Utah County’s burgeoning technology industry and more affordable homes are partially responsible for drawing newcomers, whereas births previously drove population increases in the county known for large families. “More and more since 2010, this growth is being driven by more net-migration,” Harris said. “That to us is a really interesting change in the demographic trend.” For the first time last year in Utah County, net-migration counted for higher growth, 50.1%, than natural increase due to births versus deaths, officials said. “When it comes to net-migration, it fluctuates a lot and it’s really dependent on the economy,” Harris said. “When times are good, you see a lot of movement and you see people moving around.” AT THE CENTER OF WHAT’S NEXT CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD IS PROUD TO WELCOME KATIE WILKING Katie has joined our office as a Director specializing in the Park City and Salt Lake City markets. 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