SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — A significant change to Utah’s criminal justice system has gone into effect, potentially increasing the risk of deportation for undocumented immigrants convicted of certain misdemeanors. House Bill 226, sponsored by Rep. Candice Pierucci, officially took effect on May 7, 2025. The law raises the maximum jail sentence for class A misdemeanors from 364 days to 365 days. While this increase might seem minor, it has major implications under federal immigration law, which mandates deportation proceedings for noncitizens who are sentenced to one year or more in jail. Utah’s previous law, passed in 2019, intentionally capped…
