In his response to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ request for an official Attorney General’s Opinion on the implementation of a recent executive order by President Donald Trump, AG Gentner Drummond took swipes at both Walters and Governor Kevin Stitt over the immigration issue.
Drummond says Walters’ request is an attempt to manufacture political drama. The executive order in question was the President directing federal agencies to prevent taxpayer resources from going to services for illegal immigrants. Drummond says that order was directed at federal agencies and not Oklahoma’s public school system.
“As a reminder, the framers of the U.S. Constitution enshrined within it the concept of federalism,” Drummond wrote. “This means that the United States and the several States are distinct and separate sovereigns. As a result, President Trump is the head of the Executive Branch for the United States Government. The President issues executive orders that direct the actions of federal departments, agencies, officers, employees, and contractors; while a Governor issues executive orders that direct the actions of state departments, agencies, officers, employees, and contractors.”
Drummond suggested Walters focus on his job.
“I suggest you devote increased energy and focus on improving the test scores and reading proficiency of Oklahoma Students,” Drummond wrote. “The people of this state entrusted you with the critical responsibility of administering and managing public education. Fulfilling that responsibility should be your only focus.”
In the letter to Walters, Drummond praised Trump’s actions on curbing illegal immigration and was critical for Stitt not taking up the cause until the last couple of years.
“In fact, President Trump’s leadership addressing illegal immigration has been so strong and decisive that it has laid bare Governor Stitt’s many failures in dealing with this critical issue here in Oklahoma,” Drummond wrote. “For more than six years in office Gov. Stitt took no substantive action to address illegal immigration here in Oklahoma. Quite the opposite, Governor Stitt partnered with the Biden Administration to ‘resettle’ over 1,800 poorly vetted Afghan ‘refugees’ in Oklahoma. You recall that the FBI recently arrested one of them for planning a mass shooting on Election Day in 2024. Worse still, an audit revealed that Governor Stitt improperly spent over $6.5 million in taxpayer funds to ‘resettle’ these ‘refugees’ without appropriate authorization.
“I am very thankful for President Trump’s leadership on this critical issue, and I am very disappointed in Governor Stitt’s failures that have cost Oklahoma taxpayers billions and put our families at risk. [The executive order] should be a model for Oklahoma and every state to ensure their services are delivered only to those legally eligible to receive them.”
