TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Oklahoma House Speaker, Charles McCall announced that he intends to file legislation similar to a controversial Texas law combatting illegal immigration, gaining the support of Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
In a press release, McCall says in part:
The failed policies of the Biden Administration have turned every state into a border state,” McCall said. “Oklahoma is a law and order state, and should be the last place illegal immigrants want to settle when they cross over the border. For those reasons, and in light of recent court rulings regarding Senate Bill 4 out of Texas, I am immediately introducing legislation to secure the borders of Oklahoma in the same fashion as our neighbors to the south. Oklahoma will stand ready to defend its borders from all who would enter our country illegally.
Following the pushback that Texas has received against Senate Bill 4, the ACLU published a travel advisory stating:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law several new bills instituting immigration enforcement mechanisms and mandatory minimum sentences that threaten the safety and rights of people traveling in Texas, regardless of their immigration status.
Attorney General Drummond says that the legislation in the works in Oklahoma is primarily focused on prosecuting illegal immigrants breaking the law. Drummond references the issues that Oklahoma’s organized crime task force to combat illegal marijuana grow operations have faced without legislation allowing officers to make arrests.
“What is happening is, those illegal operatives are popping up in non-registered grows and they’re continuing to break the law. I simply need a vehicle through which I can depopulate the workforce of the syndicated crime organizations in Oklahoma,” Drummond said.
Drummond said that while he does encourage people to follow proper immigration procedures, the goal of this legislation is not to target all illegal immigrants.
“It is my hope that this law bridges that gap and provides Oklahoma with its own sovereign rights to detain and arrest those that are violating the law, not just those who are here illegally,” said Drummond.
NewsChannel 8 reached out to the ACLU for comment on the intended filing but received no response.
