Sen. Flake opposes controversial Utahn nominated to head refugee program and could sink Trump’s pick

Ron Mortensen, a co-founder of the Utah Coalition on Illegal Immigration and a retired U.S. foreign service officer, has published a critical account of LDS Church involvement in the issue of illegal immigration. File PhotoWashington • Sen. Jeff Flake said this week he would oppose the nomination of Utahn Ronald Mortensen for a top State Department job overseeing refugees because of his past rhetoric against immigrants, becoming the first Republican senator to publicly balk at President Donald Trump’s pick.

Utah’s senators, Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, have not said whether they’d back Mortensen, a former foreign service officer who has been highly critical of undocumented immigrants, linking…