Deevers Comments on Controversial Visa Task Force Recommendations

OKLAHOMA CITY – Last week, the Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force published their report, making several recommendations to the legislature for immigration-related bills. Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, spoke forthrightly against the recommendations and encouraged his fellow legislators to do likewise.

“As legislators, we must look out first and foremost for the well-being of Oklahomans,” Deevers said. “I’m afraid these recommendations fail to do that.”

The Task Force’s first recommendation was an Office of New Oklahomans, pointing to Utah’s Center for New Americans as a good example.

“While helping those here legally is an admirable goal, there are problems with the suggested Office of New Oklahomans,” Deevers said. “The report points to other states with similar programs and specifically highlights Utah. We must be clear-eyed about what is happening in Utah. Utah’s New Americans Task Force highlights wanting to naturalize 60,000 immigrants as a goal to be achieved. Utah has loosened E-Verify requirements. They recently repealed a law making English the sole language on government documents. Illegal immigrants have access to a plethora of state benefits in education, health care, and other areas. On May 31, 2023, the Salt Lake City Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officially designated Utah as a sanctuary state because of state policies friendly to illegal immigrants. The Oklahoma Task Force’s decision to highlight Utah as a good example of what they are striving for with the Office of New Oklahomans raises major red flags.”

The Task Force also recommended issuing “Driving Privilege Cards” to qualified non-citizens. They would have to prove legal residency in the U.S. (like a work visa, for instance) and have no criminal record to be eligible.

“Even with assurances that illegal immigrants are not what the Task Force had in mind, this is concerning. Again, this idea​​ comes from Utah, which does assign these cards to illegal immigrants. Further, legal immigrants in Oklahoma can already obtain a driver’s license by providing documentation of legitimate residency. So why are these cards being brought up if not because the Task Force had illegal immigrants in mind? That question puzzles both me and KOCO, who reported that “Oklahoma Task Force Recommends Undocumented Immigrants Be Allowed to Get ‘Driving Privilege Cards.’”

Deevers also objected to the Task Force’s choice of expert testimony.

“The Task Force report highlights testimony from three outside supposed experts, one of whom is a part of Utah’s disastrous immigration project, one who used to work for a liberal advocacy group that advocates open borders policies, and one who, according to the meeting minutes, argued that ‘the aim is to implement a state-level work permit program that offers undocumented immigrants a legal pathway to work and live in Oklahoma.’ This is simply unacceptable. The liberal policy advocacy that is evident throughout the meeting minutes is a serious cause for skepticism toward the report, even about programs that appear less objectionable on the surface,” Deevers said.

“The people of Oklahoma deserve a State government that protects their economic and social interests first and foremost. If we are headed down a path to becoming like Utah on immigration, we have taken a wrong turn. Given the current invasion at the border enabled by President Biden and former Border Czar Kamala Harris, now is the time to strengthen our immigration policies, not weaken them. I respectfully oppose implementing the unhelpful recommendations of this Task Force which do not align with an Oklahoma First policy or the bill that we just passed into law.”

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Dusty Deevers at 405-521-5567 or email Dusty.Deevers@oksenate.gov.