Governor Kevin Stitt released the report on how Oklahoma can approach handing over illegal aliens in state custody to federal authorities for deportation. Stitt ordered the report from Oklahoma Commissioner of Public Safety Tim Tipton as part of Operation Guardian.
“Former president Biden’s weak border policies allowed our country to become a safe haven for criminal illegal migrants – that ends in Oklahoma with Operation Guardian,” said Stitt. “I’m grateful we have a President in the White House who is taking action where the former refused to. These dangerous illegal aliens should not be walking on our streets, and they soon won’t be. Oklahoma will continue to stand for law & order.”
The report does indicate that the state of Oklahoma does have a few pathways for the transfer to federal custody. However, the report also indicates that the plan cannot begin until President Trump’s cabinet and agency heads have implemented President Donald Trump’s executive orders concerning illegal immigrants.
In the meantime, Tipton has identified pathways through current law for the transfers to take place. It primarily will depend on what crimes the inmates were convicted of and how much of their sentence they have served.
The report says according to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC), the state has 525 criminal illegal aliens in custody. This does not account for those who might be held in county jails. Oklahoma is paying about $36,000 a day to house the inmates.
ODOC also broke down the types of crimes and countries of origin of the inmates.
139 (27%) non-violent drug crimes,
11 (2%) non-violent property crimes,
103 (20%) violent assault crimes,
38 (7%) violent sex crimes,
159 (30%) violent crimes against children, and
75 (14%) violent crimes resulting in death.
ODOC’s records reflect the countries of origin for these offenders include:
377 (72%) Mexico,
40 (8%) Guatemala,
35 (7%) Honduras,
7 (1%) Vietnam, and
66 (12%) Other.
“This plan ensures Oklahoma leads the nation in cracking down on illegal aliens who’ve committed crimes against our communities,” said Tipton. “Operation Guardian is a direct response to the threat that these criminals pose to our citizens, and I join Governor Stitt in his commitment to protecting Oklahomans.”
