US may backflip on work visa program

A guest worker program allowing undocumented immigrants to temporarily work in the US state of Utah could be removed just three months after its announcement.

The HB 116 US visa program, signed into law in March, would have allowed undocumented immigrants to work in Utah if they pass criminal background checks and pay a fee.

The bill is now under threat from Republican lawmakers, who have voted to appeal the legislation at a convention over the weekend.

Opponents of the bill include Utah County Delegate Arturo Morales who argued that the bill sent the wrong message about law enforcement.

"We the people can send a message to let them know in Utah we do business out in the open, and not in secret rooms with secret deals," he said.

Supporters of the law say it helps combat identity theft and allows the state to prioritise enforcement efforts to target the worst offenders.

"You need to know and understand that under HB 116, illegal immigrants pay fines, which generate money that goes to me and my criminal aliens task force, where we're arresting the worst of the worst," Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said.