Last week's report from the Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force has been met with stark disapproval by Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, who openly criticized the body's suggestions for amending the state's immigration-related policy. In a move that can only be described as a candid rebuke, Deevers urged fellow legislators to reject the Task Force's recommendations. Senators and policymakers across the state are positioned to fully consider how these recommendations, designed to shape the future of Oklahoma's immigration policy, could impact their constituents.
Among the controversial proposals is the creation of an Office of New Oklahomans, an idea patterned after Utah's Center for New Americans. The Task Force's report looks to Utah as a shining example — a state embracing policies meant to warmly welcome immigrants. Deevers, however, was quick to forcefully challenge this comparison. "As legislators, we must look out first and foremost for the well-being of Oklahomans," Deevers said. "I’m afraid these recommendations fail to do that," according to the Oklahoma Senate.
Deevers, representing a sentiment of caution, detailed issues with the proposed Office of New Oklahomans by paralleling Utah's policy directions that offer state benefits in education and health care, amongst other services, to illegal immigrants. According to Deevers, Utah’s recent steps, such as the repeal of a law requiring English as the sole language on government documents, and loosening E-Verify requirements, are examples of making concessions that Oklahoma might do well to avoid.
Utah's designation as a sanctuary state by the Salt Lake City Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on May 31, 2023, stems from such lenient policies, Deevers noted. By highlighting Utah's aim to naturalize 60,000 immigrants, the Task Force, in Deevers’s perspective, potentially raises a red flag for the future of Oklahoma's immigration law parameters. "Utah has loosened E-Verify requirements," Deevers said. "They recently repealed a law making English the sole language on government documents. Illegal immigrants have access to a plethora of state benefits in education, health care, and other areas," as per the Oklahoma Senate.
