Oklahoma AG Moves Against Illegal Immigration: What The New Legislation Proposes

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is working with state lawmakers on legislation allowing state law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants.

The Biden Administration is challenging a similar law in Texas.

Drummond says the federal government is failing to secure the border, so he's hoping the Supreme Court will allow individual states to step in and pass their laws to protect themselves. 

“The arrests that we make in our organized crime taskforce are 75 percent of the time either somebody associated with Mexican cartel or somebody associated with the Chinese organized crime syndication,” said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

Drummond says the crisis at the southern border is impacting Oklahomans, “We are already detaining these illegal immigrants - and unless they have committed a crime that we can pin to them. We have to release them to ICE.”

“ICE is simply giving them a hall pass - please return in 3 months for you're hearing - or please go back to Mexico - they're not obeying that,” Drummond continued.

The attorney general is calling for legislation to be passed this session to find a better process on the state level. “We will augment the federal agencies by protecting Oklahomans every day,” said Drummond.

House Speaker Charles McCall said in a statement "Oklahoma - should be the last place illegal immigrants want to settle when they cross over the border.”

Which is why he’s introducing the legislation that Drummond is calling for. “The legislation would permit law enforcement agencies in the state of Oklahoma to arrest and deport illegal actors,” Drummond said.

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson calls this the “same tired, political rhetoric we hear every election year.” Instead, she calls on Congress for "A bipartisan solution to address border security.”

This is not an indictment against anybody. Let's let the states defend themselves,” said Drummond.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has been very vocal about securing the border. Stitt sent the Oklahoma National Guard down to Texas and says he will deploy them again if Texas Governor Greg Abbott requests the extra help.