Leaders in OK Legislature say they'll propose a bill to make "impermissible occupation" a crime.
A new piece of immigration legislation working its way through the Oklahoma Legislature and sponsored by the Republican leaders of each chamber, would clamp down on illegal immigration and create the crime of impermissible occupation.
The bill, which attempts to provide a state fix to the issue of illegal border crossings, is expected to be filed next week by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City.
The new law would define impermissible occupation as a person willfully and without permission entering and remaining in Oklahoma without first obtaining legal authorization to enter the U.S.
The first offense would be a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a term of not more than one year or by a fine of not more than $500, or both. Offenders would be required to leave the state within 72 hours from the date and time of the order. They are prohibited from reentering the state at any time thereafter.
The second offense is a felony punishable by imprisonment under the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for not more than two years or by a fine of not less than $1,000. The person is still required to leave the state within 72 hours and prohibited from returning.
McCall said the bill would not address deportation but was intended to discourage migration to Oklahoma. He said the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation would maintain a database of illegal arrivals.
The measure would also prevent any “sanctuary cities" in Oklahoma.
McCall said he would not allow Oklahomans to face the issues experienced by border states and others.
"Oklahoma citizens should not be footing the bill for those illegally in our country, and this legislation will make Oklahoma the least attractive state in the nation for illegal immigrants," he said.
Treat said legal immigration provides endless opportunities for people to come to the U.S. and prosper. He said there has been work behind the scenes on the measure.
"There's not an agreement yet, but I believe you'll see some announcements shortly.
"I believe there's going to be challenges to anything we do," he said. "But it's a great challenge to Okahoma law enforcement when we have a federal government that's not willing to enforce he border now."
Also under consideration in the Legislature is HB 3071, which would prohibit the use of state revenue to provide benefits to people who are in the U.S. without permission unless the costs are related to education, jailing or transporting someone to an out-of-state destination. The bill was authored by Rep. Neil Hays, R-Checotah, and was last reviews in the Senate Appropriations committee.
McCall said Oklahoma would work with other states in the region on the issue and said he expected some of them to pass similar legislation. Texas already has proposed such a bill that, according to the Texas Tribune, would impose harsher punishments than Oklahoma’s. The proposed legislation has been met with controversy as critics say it interferes with federal immigration laws.
Contributing: Staff writer Scott Carter
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma legislative leaders follow Texas' lead on immigration
