New administration means new look at OK immigration law
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) – A new letter from the U.S. Department of Justice has officials taking another look at HB 4156, the immigration law halted federally days before it was to be enforced.
In June of last year, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that puts a pause on House Bill 4156, a controversial law enabling Oklahoma law enforcement to arrest individuals based on immigration status.
The new law, scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2024, was met with opposition from many organizations, including The Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police and Metro Law Enforcement Agency Leaders, and state legislators.
In May last year, the DOJ sent a letter to Governor Kevin Stitt and Attorney General Gentner Drummond, threatening legal action if HB 4156 was enforced.
But this week a new letter from the current DOJ to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit cites a proclamation by President Trump that “the current situation at the southern border qualifies as an invasion under Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States.”
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Attorney General Gentner Drummond released a statement in support and said it bolsters his appeal of the injunction against state immigration reform.
“President Trump is committed to securing the border and enforcing immigration laws, which is a welcome change from the Biden Administration’s open-border policy. The nation’s porous border under the Biden Administration posed a direct threat to public safety in Oklahoma, so we acted to protect our people. The recent letter from the Justice Department makes clear that our position is correct, and I am encouraged that soon we will be able to enforce HB 4156. This law is critical in our efforts to stamp out the pestilence of illegal marijuana grows and their associated criminal activities.”
Attorney General Gentner Drummond
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