For a second time in as many weeks, city councilor and mayoral candidate Jayme Fowler has come under fire for political and feasibility reasons because of a proposed ordinance that would impact undocumented immigrants.
Called the “Safe City Ordinance” on Fowler's campaign website, the proposed rule would bar “any funds or resources under the control of the city treasury, including but not limited to tax revenues, grants and subsidies” to “house, accommodate or benefit illegal immigrants whether directly or indirectly.”
Fowler said he used the term “safe city” because Tulsa needs to be safe from “a wave of illegal immigrants" who could potentially devastate the area financially.
While some of his fellow councilors discussed the political nature of the bill, even more focused on if the ordinance is even feasible.
“Unless you have an ordinance that can successfully maneuver this — what I consider overwhelming mine field, I’m not sure you’re ever going to get here,” Councilor Christian Bengel said at last week’s meeting.
Speaking in support of his ordinance, Fowler claimed two busloads of migrants would overwhelm the city’s incoming low-barrier shelter for unhoused people. He pointed to how Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has bused migrants to larger, more progressive cities like Denver, New York and Chicago.
In the first week of discussion, Fowler argued it’s “only a matter of time” before mid-sized cities like Tulsa start receiving migrants.
But Councilor Lori Decter Wright believes that isn’t likely going to happen here, given the size of Tulsa and the politics of the state.
“Governor Stitt would make clear that that’s not acceptable,” she said.
Councilors questioned if the ordinance can even be enforced. Councilor Phil Lakin pointed out the city appropriates grants to nonprofits that help people without checking for identification.
“Then you’re not going to be able to give any money to Community Food Bank, Catholic Charities — legions of nonprofit organizations. It’s a Catch-22,” Lakin said.
Fowler said he could "take a friendly amendment" to the language in the ordinance to be more general to bar nonprofits from offering services to undocumented clients.
“You can take it, but you’re not winning by taking the friendly amendment. It’s getting worse,” Lakin said.
Amanda Sibrian, a YWCA worker who has Mexican and El Salvadorian immigrants in her family, said it would be impossible to implement such a law.
“I don’t feel like it’s rational,” Sibrian said. “I don’t think it’s something that we can actually move forward with or reach.”
Even if Tulsa was to pass the ordinance, Oklahoma already has a law that bars public money from helping undocumented immigrants. Passed in 2007, House Bill 1804 bars undocumented immigrants from receiving “taxpayer funded services” except in medical emergencies or natural disasters.
Because of this, councilors questioned if the ordinance was even necessary.
“Councilor Lakin mentioned all these different services that we’re providing. And if we’re providing all these illegal services to illegal immigrants, that’s an issue, and we’ve got to go back and start looking at that,” Fowler said.
Councilor Grant Miller argued the “free market” would create nonprofits that would comply with the ordinance if it were amended as Fowler suggested. But Decter Wright, who has worked at nonprofits, said it would instead have a chilling effect on Tulsa’s nonprofit sector.
“Thank God no one asks during food distribution during a worldwide pandemic, ‘Can I see your documentation?’ That’s so anti-American, it’s not Christian, and this whole conversation, at this point, is so far beyond the work that we’re trying to do as a city,” she said.
Decter Wright suggested Fowler alter the ordinance in a working group before bringing it back before council. Fowler said he’d look at engaging the community before moving forward with the ordinance.
Fowler clarified that a copy of the ordinance is on his mayor campaign page because state law bars him from putting it on his city councilor page.
Last week’s discussion about the ordinance prompted Council President Crista Patrick to walk out of the room, saying she would “not be part of a conversation that doubts people's needs and their desire to have basic human rights.”
