Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) said he is “not going to make a decision” on signing an illegal immigration bill that would allow law enforcement to remove illegal aliens from the state.
At a news conference Friday, Stitt said that while he supports restrictions on illegal immigration, he wasn’t sure whether he would sign House Bill 4156 if there were restrictions. pass Oklahoma State Senate, according to KOCO News.
“I’m not going to decide right now whether to sign or not,” Stitt said at a news conference. “There are too many uncertainties about what’s in the bill. Our team will look at it and consider it.”
Asked if he was concerned about families being separated under HB 4156, Stitt explained that was not his intention, but that Oklahoma would become a “law and order state.”
Hundreds of people camped at the border, broke the fence and draped blankets over spikes to enter the United States through an area known as Gate 36 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on March 21, 2024. foreigner. (Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty)
Oklahoma Majority Leader and State Representative John Echols (R) explained that HB4156 This would create a crime called illegal occupation, which would apply to people who enter the United States illegally and remain in the country.
For illegal trespassing, a person convicted of the crime will be charged with a misdemeanor as a first offense.
Those found guilty face a fine of up to $500, up to one year in prison, or both, plus an additional 72 hours in jail. Leave Oklahoma, according to the Tulsa World.
“I can’t think of a First World country that isn’t at war that would allow 10,000 people a day to cross their borders unchecked at checkpoints,” Echols said in a statement.
States like Iowa and Texas have enacted similar laws.
Signed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (Republican) Senate Bill 2340 On April 10, the law made illegal immigrants who had previously been deported or refused entry a national crime. The bill also allows law enforcement authorities to deport illegal immigrants to their home countries.
texas passed it A similar law was enacted in 2023, but it was put on hold several times while a small number of courts considered it.
