Tulsa’s new mayor says local police won’t work with immigration officers if the federal government tries to deport undocumented immigrants not suspected of crimes.
In a Meet the Press interview last weekend, President-elect Donald Trump said his administration would “have to” deport everyone who has entered the country illegally.
When asked if Tulsa police would cooperate with immigration officers in this context, newly elected mayor Monroe Nichols said no.
“The Tulsa Police Department is not a political organization meant to drive any political policy around immigration,” Nichols said. “It is simply a force for enforcing the law and making sure we have a safe city.”
Immigration Customs Enforcement referred KWGS to Trump’s transition team for a response to Nichols’ remarks.
Tulsa police spokesperson Richard Meulenberg said officers don’t currently have the authority to place someone in custody for their immigration status. That could change if state House Bill 4156 — which makes residing in Oklahoma without documentation a misdemeanor — goes into effect.
An estimated 24,000 unauthorized immigrants reside in Tulsa County, according to census data compiled by nonpartisan think tank Migration Policy Institute.
Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado opposed criminalizing undocumented status due to concerns over his deputies’ safety and the population of the county jail.
Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic/Latinx Affairs commissioner Amy Ariza said it’s important for police to gain and keep the trust of undocumented immigrants in Tulsa.
“(It’s) helping to reduce crime in many ways in Tulsa,” she said.
Nichols agreed, adding that it coincides with his campaign promise to “make Tulsa the safest big city in the country.”
“The things that help us get there are the things that the Tulsa Police Department is going to continue to focus on,” Nichols said. “Looking over the shoulder of folks and asking about their immigration status is just not something that we’re ever going to be involved in.”
