Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is appealing an injunction that blocks enforcement of the state's new immigration law. This law, aimed at addressing illegal immigration, is a key part of Drummond's policy agenda.
The injunction was issued by a federal judge on June 28, at the behest of the Biden-Harris Administration, just days before the contentious law was to come into force. In response, Drummond has turned to the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn this decision. The appeal argues that House Bill 4156 simply reflects federal law and asserts state rights within a federalist system. According to a statement from the Attorney General's Office, "HB 4156 in no way conflicts with or undermines federal law. Rather, HB 4156 mirrors federal law by design."
Coming into effect this year at Drummond's request, House Bill 4156 aimed to address issues like illegal marijuana farms by empowering local law enforcement to arrest and incarcerate immigrants who are in Oklahoma illegally. The Attorney General’s Office highlights a perceived failure by the current administration to secure the border, further necessitating the state's intervention. The bill ties the proliferation of activities such as drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and money laundering directly to illegal immigration.
In fighting for the bill, Drummond's office has painted a dire picture. The brief purports a "border crisis" that has "swamped Oklahoma with an unprecedented onslaught of criminal activity." It details a state overwhelmed by these challenges that local forces are struggling to contain. The extensive list of crimes includes not only black-market marijuana operations but also the distribution of fentanyl, sex trafficking, and money laundering. "The state’s ‘crisis of unauthorized entry and presence is endangering Oklahomans, devastating rural, urban, and suburban communities and is severely straining even the most diligent and well-resourced state and local government entities,’" a statement obtained by Attorney General's Office.
Asserting that the state has "Oklahoma has a constitutional right to protect our citizens," Drummond has expressed his determination to take this fight as far as the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. As he stated in his Attorney General's Office release, “I will continue fighting against the open border policies of the Biden-Harris Administration all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if that’s what it takes to protect my fellow Oklahomans. Nothing is more important than the safety of our families and communities.”
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