The Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic and Latinx Affairs Commission officially opposes a bill that would charge undocumented immigrants accused of any crime with a felony in Oklahoma.
House Bill 1362 would make an undocumented person arrested on suspicion of any crime automatically guilty of a felony punishable by at least five years in prison. Last year, the legislature created the crime “impermissible occupation,” which charges undocumented immigrants residing in Oklahoma with a misdemeanor.
Hispanic Affairs Commission chairwoman Amairani Perez Chamu is concerned the law will be applied indiscriminately.
“We would have a lot of community members that because, you know, because of something like their immigration status, all of the sudden, minor offenses like a speeding ticket could be elevated to something that could get them deported,” Perez Chamu said.
Commissioners voted Thursday night for Perez Chamu to write a letter opposing the bill.
“We hope to be able to speak to some representatives, and then also be able to send those letters out to our local elected officials like city council, our county commissioners as well,” she said.
Commissioner Mark Ohnesorge abstained from the vote, citing his job at the Tulsa Police Department as a conflict of interest.
The bill’s lead sponsor, David Hardin, did not immediately respond to request for comment on the bill.
House Bill 1362 passed out of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and is now under consideration in the Senate.
Perez-Chamu said the letter will also express support for House Bill 1688, which would allow for minor corrections in birth certificates.
