Lately I feel like I'm living in 1954, when Eisenhower implemented "Operation Wetback" in an effort to rid the U.S. of Mexican immigrants. And of course, Utah has leaders jumping on the bandwagon to pass legislation similar to Arizona's anti-immigrant law. But why are Utahns acting like illegal immigration is a new thing when the reality is that Utahns have co-existed with immigrants for centuries? Maybe people should really say what's on their minds -- the Mexican drug trade and the economy.

Instead of targeting illegal immigration by race, we should be enforcing laws against the drug cartels, and violent criminals and pressing the Mexican government to gain control of its own country. For years we've welcomed the cheap workforce the migrant workers provide to Utah. Targeting immigrants who've built and contributed to Utah's strong economy by deporting mothers and fathers while keeping their U.S.-born children here is the wrong solution and will negatively affect Hispanics for generations to come. In 2008, Utah's Latino community had the purchasing power of $5.8 billion, quite a large contribution to our economy even when you subtract the costs of medical, educational and enforcement expenses caused by our undocumented population.

Sometimes I like to believe that Utah is a progressive state and would be part of a forward-thinking solution, not revisiting laws that allow racism and injustice to exist.

Utah legislators and the LDS Church should be leading this debate due to the fact that we've been a safe haven for undocumented people and have welcomed them into our homes, lives and churches.

And let's not forget our Republican president, Ronald Reagan, who signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 which allowed undocumented people a pathway to citizenship and helped move the country forward. There are better ways to resolve the immigration issues, but moving backwards will only cause our state more grief, segregation and digression.

Kimberli Cavazos Haywood has worked as a freelance writer for The Tribune Close-Up section and Spanish-language newspapers. She is a community activist and third-generation Mexican-American born and raised in Salt Lake City.