Rep. Mike Ritze said today he has sent letters to Gov. Mary Fallin, Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma Commissioner of Health Terry Cline and state representatives in the Lawton area encouraging them to do all they can to ensure the protection of Oklahoma citizens from contagious diseases following the federal government’s decision to house illegal immigrant children at Ft. Sill.
“More than 1,100 unaccompanied minors who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally are currently being housed at Fort Sill,” said Ritze, R-Broken Arrow. “As a physician, the chairman of Public Safety A&B, and a citizen of Oklahoma, I am concerned about the possibility of communicable diseases being carried by a population that does not have the same vaccination requirements as in the U.S.”
Ritze is a board certified physician and surgeon with a master’s degree in forensic science administration. Recently, he observed three cases of illegal immigrants having tuberculosis. Additionally, the Arkansas Department of Health reported leprosy in patients who were illegal immigrants in Northwest Arkansas. The Oklahoma State Department of Health has reported cases of syphilis in Northeast Oklahoma in patients who are illegal immigrants.
Pursuant to the Oklahoma Administrative Code 310:521-703(b), his letters request that the illegal immigrants at Fort Sill be quarantined. Pursuant to the Catastrophic Health Emergency Powers Act, his letter also requests that the governor declare a state of catastrophic health emergency until it can be proven that the minors do not carry communicable diseases.
Ritze has also requested the AG Scott Pruitt take any action within his constitutional bounds regarding illegal immigration activity and any action that is authorized by law for the Attorney General to provide support to local law enforcement and district attorneys to enforce immigration law.
Ritze is encouraging all state officials, especially his fellow state representatives to do what they can to uphold the laws the State of Oklahoma has in place for situations such as this.
To respect that autonomy of local government, Ritze is also encouraging state representatives from Lawton to reach out to their district attorney and sheriff to enforce The Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007, which makes it unlawful and a potential felony for any person to transport, conceal, harbor, or shelter any alien in any place within the state of Oklahoma..
“I am hopeful that these Oklahoma leaders will do all they can to work with Fort Sill to ensure the safety and security of Oklahoma citizens,” Ritze said.
Thanks to Representative Ritze! I wonder what all of his colleagues are doing as Oklahoma has been invaded over not just the last month, but the better part of the last 20- years.