Following in the footsteps of Texas, Oklahoma has passed a new law that authorizes local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute illegal aliens in the state.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed the bill HB 4156 into law on Tuesday, April 30, after it was passed with overwhelming majority in the State Senate and the House. The law criminalizes the presence of illegal aliens in the state and authorizes law enforcement in the state to arrest and prosecute such offenders. The bill expresses concern over the risks associated with illegal aliens as expressed in Section 2 of the legislation:
Often, these persons are involved with organized crime such as drug cartels, they have no regard for Oklahoma’s laws or public safety, and they produce or are involved with fentanyl distribution, sex trafficking, and labor trafficking.
If convicted of “impermissible occupation” in the state courts, the illegal aliens would face at least a year in jail and/or a fine of $500 as well as the orders to leave the state within 72 hours of release. The punishment increases for subsequent arrests of the same individual for repeating the offense.
The Daily Wire quoted Governor Stitt commenting on the problem of illegal aliens in the state and the country:
“Countless individuals from across the globe, including thousands of Chinese nationals as well as people affiliated with terror organizations, have illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.”
HB 4156 will take effect on July 1st. Oklahoma’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond welcomed the new law as a helpful measure that would aid law enforcement. But liberals are not happy over the passage of the bill and as usual, the left-aligned media is propagating the familiar race-baiting narrative to criticize the law.
The leftist USA Today and its sister publications raised the question on Wednesday (May 1st) whether the new law would “promote racial profiling.” USA Today cited Arturo Alonso Sandoval, Democrat representative in Oklahoma’s State House, stating that this bill “promotes racial profiling, which puts every Oklahoman at risk.”
ABC affiliate Koco News, while reporting on the bill’s passage, sounded unhappy with the prospect of law enforcement asking people about their immigration status during a criminal investigation:
HB 4156 isn’t written to only go after workers at illegal drug operations. As the bill is worded, it would allow for police to ask for immigration status when investigating any crime.
Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is also actively fighting the conservative states that are passing laws to punish illegal immigrants. In the latest conflict surrounding this issue, the DOJ threatened the state of Iowa with legal action if it moved to enforce its law against the presence of illegal immigrants in its state. Artistree News reported on Monday (May 6) that the DOJ has given Iowa until May 7 to reverse.