OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Charles McCall on Wednesday announced he would immediately file legislation to secure the state’s border against illegal immigration.
Details of the legislation and expected cost of enforcement weren’t immediately clear.
A Texas bill passed in 2023 lets state law enforcement arrest and deport migrants who enter the state illegally.
The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week refused to halt implementation of the law, but hours later, a panel of judges with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked enforcement.
“Oklahoma will stand ready to defend its borders from all who would enter our country illegally,” McCall said.
McCall’s announcement in a press release came after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued his own release asking lawmakers to quickly pass a bill allowing state law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants.
“The Supreme Court may well be poised to set new precedent allowing state law enforcement to act,” Drummond said. “If and when that day comes, I want Oklahoma to be prepared with a robust law that empowers local law enforcement.”
Both McCall, R-Atoka, and Drummond, a Republican, blamed President Joe Biden, a Democrat, for the situation at the border.
Oklahoma in the past has sent members of the Oklahoma National Guard to help secure the border at the request of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Oklahoma Watch in December reported Oklahoma spent more than $544,000 to send members to the border. The money came from a disaster fund typically used for response to tornadoes and extreme weather events.
