Despite more than three years of relentless aggression, red states have been slow to tighten laws against illegal immigration. Part of the reason may be due to fear of judicial intervention. But much of it is the result of a complicated relationship between Republican special interests and cheap labor.
So it was a pleasant surprise when the Oklahoma State Legislature quickly passed the nation’s toughest anti-illegal immigration law, making illegal presence in the state an outright crime and giving trespassers 72 hours to leave. Unfortunately, Gov. Kevin Stitt’s plan for this bill shows why there was little opposition.
HB 4156 Requirements every Illegal immigrants leave the country.Stitt made a mockery of the law the moment he signed it into law..
Stitt signed last week. House Bill 4156This makes the Sooner State the first state in the nation to make residence illegal without first obtaining a legal permit to enter the country. If caught illegally in the state, a first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a $500 fine. Subsequent crimes are considered felonies, punishable by up to two years in prison and a $1,000 fine. In either case, the offender must leave the state within 72 hours of being released from prison or jail and will not be allowed to return.
The law passed without a single Republican opposition in either chamber. Republicans control the House 81-20 and the Senate 40-8.
If the law went into effect, criminals would be forced to leave the state, regardless of whether they were arrested for another crime. This is a model bill for other red states.The problem is expectations of execution.
Kevin Stitt is a longtime supporter of illegal aliens, even as he criticizes Biden’s open border policies. Most recently in Congress, Mr. Stitt and his allies pushed for driver’s licenses for illegal aliens. So it was kind of a shock when Stitt signed HB 4156.
Or maybe not. At the very moment he signed the law, Stitt announced the creation of a task force to “explore opportunities for people here to contribute to our communities and our economy.”
of presidential order The task force’s creation states, “House Bill 4156 is designed to support honest, hard-working Hispanic or It does not target other international migrants.”
Stitt deftly avoids the adjective “illegal” throughout the imperative, leading one to believe that he is referring only to legal immigrants. But a closer look shows that the order requires the task force to “provide immigrants here with a work permit, work visa, or similar document that allows them to remain for a specified period of time without leaving their families or livelihoods. They are asking for recommendations on how to “ensure that the
Suffice it to say, legal immigrants don’t need visas or work permits because they already have them.
Stitt’s executive order would direct the task force to find ways to provide cheap labor from illegal aliens to nearly every major industry in Oklahoma.
It would be different if HB 4156 imposed the crime of illegal alienation only on people arrested for other crimes. Mr. Stitt could reconcile enforcement of that law with parallel efforts to promote non-criminal aliens.
However, that is not required by law. HB 4156 Requirements every Illegal immigrants leave the country. Stitt mocked the law the moment he signed it.
Mr. Stitt is a perfect example of the lawlessness of some Republican politicians who talk one way about border invasions to criticize Biden, while acting in another way to protect cheap labor. They want an endless supply of illegal workers from the Third World and are willing to ignore the law while touting all the straw-man Democratic talking points about their “honest” contributions to our way of life. Not (even though they all break the law and usually steal identities).
From now until Election Day, you’ll hear every Republican governor condemn Biden’s immigration policies. But know that many of them are secretly rooting for their success while denouncing these policies as cynical election strategies.
