ICE Crackdown on Illegal Truck Drivers in Oklahoma
Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) mentioned that a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting illegal immigrant truck drivers in Oklahoma led to the arrest of numerous undocumented individuals who “don’t have their names on their licenses” and struggle with English.
During a discussion with host Mike Slater, he highlighted that the ICE raid had taken place in Oklahoma, resulting in the capture of many illegal immigrants. Mullin expressed he is “very involved” in this initiative along with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
He explained, “This was a collaborative effort with the Highway Patrol, which has close ties to these operations. This has been in the pipeline for quite some time. It all started at a truck stop where we received some interesting information from other trucking companies.” The operation took place near Interstate 40, which connects New Mexico and Oklahoma.
“In just the first three hours, we had 17 semi-trucks removed,” he noted, pointing out that many of these drivers were unable to communicate in English.
Mullin elaborated, “Their driver’s licenses, issued in New York or California, simply stated, ‘No name given.’ Their licenses had photos, but no names were displayed. This was identical in locations like New York and Oakland, California. We arrested 70 illegal immigrants on that first day.”
He reflected on the challenges faced, saying, “We had to pause because we didn’t have a tow capable of removing the trucks from the road. This happened on Wednesday, and when we continued on Thursday, we doubled the number of illegal vehicles and semis. We were better prepared that time. By Friday, all trucks had been rerouted around Oklahoma.”
Marin, involved in the operation, mentioned how “everyone was surprised by the high number of individuals, although they didn’t speak English.”
“How do they navigate the roads? How do they deliver goods? If they can’t read, writing in English is probably not feasible either. They lack proper identification, meaning they are essentially nameless. Plus, they don’t have medical documents or records. It’s concerning, really. They’re driving across the country without any electronic devices or logging systems, and we know nothing about them,” the senator stated.
He expressed concern about the implications, stating, “It’s alarming to witness this on highways nationwide, so we’ve partnered with DHS and the Department of Transportation. I urge other states to take similar actions.”
“We have to acknowledge that these individuals are driving in your state. There are no background checks, and we don’t even know if they’ve undergone any formal training to operate a truck,” he added.
