Legislative leadership announces details on bill addressing illegal immigration in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) - Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) and Senate Pro Temp Greg Treat (R-OKC) announced what language will be within legislation being introduced next week that aims to address illegal immigration in Oklahoma.

The major thing planned to be within the bill is the creation of a new crime: impermissible occupation.

Someone will be deemed to commit this new crime if they willfully and without permission enter the state and remain there without having obtained legal authority to enter the country.

Someone who has been charged with impermissible occupation on the first offense will be given a misdemeanor and jail time no longer than a year, or a fine of no more than $500. After punishment, the person charged would then be given 72 hours to leave the state and would be prohibited from coming to the state any time thereafter.

On a subsequent impermissible occupation offense, the person will be charged with a felony. The felony would come with no more than two years in jail or a fine of no more than $1,000. The person will still be given 72 hours to leave the state after punishment and they will also be prohibited from reentering the state anytime after.

The legislation will also supposedly contain language which would prohibit municipalities in Oklahoma from becoming sanctuary cities.

In a statement sent to 7News, McCall said he hopes this legislation will make the state the least desirable state for those living in the country illegally.

“I will not allow Oklahoma to become another border state, or be inundated with the issues that are being seen in states like New York and California,” McCall said. “Oklahoma citizens should not be footing the bill for those illegally in our country, and this legislation will make Oklahoma the least attractive state in the nation for illegal immigrants to come to. It is my hope that this common sense protection for our state’s border will pass the House and Senate quickly so we can get it signed by the Governor.”

Treat also released a statement saying illegal immigration is causing drugs to be rampant in the state, and directly mentions fentanyl.

“Legal immigration provides endless opportunities for individuals to come to our country and prosper,” Treat said. “There is a clear pathway to citizenship, and we should know who we are allowing to come here legally. With the influx of illegal immigration, we are seeing a scourge of violent gang members coming in who are bringing deadly drugs like fentanyl across the border and into Oklahoma.”

These details were released after weeks of speculation over what the bill might contain when Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond urged the legislature to produce an immigration bill similar to Texas’ controversial Senate Bill 4.

In response to that urging, McCall said he would immediately produce a piece of legislation which would secure the state’s border.

“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.”

The Oklahoma House Democrats sent their own statement in response to the releasing of this information. Within it, House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson (D-OKC) says immigration is a federal issue and Republicans are simply pushing the issue due to it being an election year.

“I know my colleagues understand addressing immigration is the responsibility of the federal government, which is why it is so blatantly obvious they are pushing rhetoric to pander to their Republican primary voter base during an election year,” Munson said.

The Democrat leader went on to say the Republican Party does enough to keep people from wanting to come to Oklahoma. This comment surely is in response to McCall’s remarks stating he wants to make the state the least attractive to illegal immigrants.

“It is appalling that state leaders continue to send the message to people that Oklahoma is not the place to live and build their families,” Munson said. “I’ll submit that the Republican supermajority does plenty to keep people from wanting to come to Oklahoma as we underfund public education, attack women’s reproductive rights, and pass extremist legislation that marginalizes people. My question to my colleagues is this: do you really believe this is the way to lead our state? Instead, let’s focus on the issues that matter to working families and those who want to live in a state like Oklahoma by investing in the people who send us to the State Capitol so they can live their highest quality of life.”

Our 7News team talked to both sides of the aisle within the Oklahoma Senate when McCall stated he would act on the AG’s urging. You can read that report, which also goes over the concerns some have over an SB4-like measure, by clicking here.

This article was updated to include statements from the Oklahoma House Democrats.