Undocumented immigrants

When it comes to immigration and deportations, Oklahoma’s senior senator agrees with the president in some areas — but not all of them.

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.

Gov. Kevin Stitt is launching Operation Guardian, which aims to prepare the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and all tiers of law enforcement to deport hundreds of unauthorized immigrants arrested for crimes unrelated to their immigration status.

He said his legislation would give prosecutors discretion, and they could use it to “target those people who are really criminals.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a press release Tuesday that he’s against a new federal immigration process meant to keep families of mixed statuses together. He’s filed an amicus brief against it in a federal court case in Texas.

Critics say effort is fear mongering

Gov. Kevin Stitt’s signature on House Bill 4156 means Oklahoma joins the handful of other states trying to change the status quo of American immigration enforcement.

Oklahoma lawmakers are one step closer to sending a controversial immigration bill to the governor’s desk. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a measure that targets state-funded resources supporting Oklahomans in the country illegally.

Details of the legislation and expected cost of enforcement weren’t immediately clear.

Today's guest is a professor at SMU who focuses on the links between economic development and migration; his books include "Controlling Immigration," "Understanding Global Migration," and "International Political Economy: History, Theory, and Policy" (forthcoming).