OKPOLICY.ORG
Welcome to this week’s immigration-focused newsletter, where we recap the latest developments on this legislative session’s slate of immigration related bills. As always, for more details on the bills discussed, visit OK Policy’s Immigration Bill Tracker.
New from OK Policy
Closing the door on lawful immigrants: How HR 1 reshapes the safety net in Oklahoma: When discussing H.R. 1, the 2025 federal reconciliation bill, there’s a familiar talking point that the bill is finally going to stop “illegal immigrants” from getting welfare. The reality, however, is that undocumented immigrants have never been eligible for programs like Medicaid, SNAP (food assistance), or Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies in Oklahoma or the rest of the country. [Gabriela Ramirez-Perez / Kati Malicoate (co-author) / OK Policy]
State Developments
House
This week was relatively quiet at the Capitol, with legislators only working Monday and Tuesday before returning to their home districts for spring break. Bills have until next week, March 26 to pass out of the House floor.
Bills yet to be heard
- HB 3551 by Cody Maynard – passed its Appropriations and Budget oversight committee 24-6.
- This bill would restrict in-state tuition and financial aid for non-U.S. citizens and mandate that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education verify a student’s lawful presence in the U.S. through the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.
- You can watch the policy committee meeting here and the oversight committee meeting here.
- This bill is now eligible to be heard on the House Floor. Keep an eye on the House Floor Agenda to see when it might be heard.
Bills that have crossed to the Senate
- HB 4422 by Kyle Hilbert – passed the House floor hearing 80-18.
- The bill mandates the use of SAVE to verify the eligibility and legal status of applicants for TANF and SNAP. If an applicant’s status can’t be confirmed, the Attorney General will notify ICE.
- You can watch the policy committee meeting here and the oversight committee meeting here. You can watch the floor debate here.
- Has not been assigned to a Senate Committee.
- HB 4423 by Kyle Hilbert – passed the House floor hearing 80-18.
- The bill mandates the use of SAVE to verify the eligibility and legal status of applicants before receiving state health care benefits. If an applicant’s status can’t be confirmed, the Attorney General will notify ICE.
- You can watch the committee meeting here and the oversight committee meeting here. You can watch the floor debate here.
- Has not been assigned to a Senate Committee.
Senate
This week we got word that Senate Floor Leader Julie Daniels has indicated she will not hear SB 1470 before next week’s floor deadline. This important bill would create much needed transparency into what is going on in detention centers in Oklahoma. Look to our “Ways to get involved” section below to see how you can take action.
Bills yet to be heard
- SB 1470 by Michael Brooks – passed its Public Safety committee 8-0.
- It would allow any Oklahoma elected official or religious leader to enter private correctional facilities to conduct informal inspections provided they prove their credentials and give three days advance notice of their intended visit.
- You can watch the committee meeting online here.
- SB 1582 by Brian Guthrie – passed its Judiciary committee 5-1.
- This bill would restrict who can own land in Oklahoma to only U.S. citizens and immigrants with permission to reside in the country permanently. If a person loses their permanent status, they have one year to divest from their property.
- You can watch the committee meeting online here.
Bills that have crossed to the House
- SB 1633 by Brenda Stanley – passed the Senate floor on Tuesday 39-7.
- The bill removes a provision that allowed students who graduated from Oklahoma high schools and resided in the state with their legal guardian to be eligible for in-state tuition, even if they couldn’t provide documentation of U.S. citizenship or immigration status.
- You can watch the committee meeting here and the floor hearing here.
Next Steps
March 26 is the deadline for House and Senate bills to pass off the floor and move onto the opposite chamber. Keep an eye on the House and Senate floor agendas to stay up to date with last minute agenda changes and see when the remaining bills could be heard.
Ways to get involved
Reach out to Senator Julie Daniels to urge her to hear SB 1470 on the Senate floor!
This bill would create much needed transparency into what is occurring in federal and private detention centers around Oklahoma, but we’ve learned that Senate Majority Leader Julie Daniels is stalling the bill, so we need your help to convince her to hear it on the Senate floor before next week’s March 26 deadline. You can call her office at (405) 521-5634.
Recognizing that Oklahoma is a deeply conservative state, when talking about this bill it is important to remain focused on speaking points about state’s rights and clergy’s right to minister to their congregations.
WHY THIS MATTERS
- Religious leaders can serve as bridges between detainees and our communities, making sure detainees remain connected to their faith.
- State officials are our directly elected representatives; they need to ensure conditions in detention centers don’t go against the will of Oklahomans.
- Reduced federal oversight over detention centers leaves people being held in detention centers at risk of being subject to poor conditions and negative physical and mental health outcomes.
Please contact Senator Julie Daniels now and ask her to hear SB 1470 on the floor!
Other notable immigration news
The news stories included in this section may be distressing to readers. While it is important to stay informed on the changes to immigration policy that affects our friends, family, and neighbors, it is also important to take care of yourself. We advise being intentional about engaging with news media and taking breaks as needed. Now more than ever it is important to practice resilience and stay rooted in community.
State
- Oklahoma Could Collect $175 Million Annually From Federal Immigration Enforcement Agreements [Oklahoma Watch]
- Enid High School senior detained by ICE after traffic stop [KOCO]
- Tulsa pastor deported to Mexico after immigration check-in [News On 6]
- Mullin’s DHS Nomination Advances to Full Senate [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal
- Trump’s administration has stopped releasing key immigration numbers [AP News]
- ICE agents reveal daily arrest quotas and surveillance app in rare court testimony [The Guardian]
- Asylum seekers increasingly being detained and pressured to leave the U.S. [NBC News]
- Afghan man dies in ICE custody in Dallas [Texas Tribune]
- Medicaid can share data with ICE, sparking fear for people who need care [NPR]
- How the ‘Somali rocket docket’ is upending the asylum process [Sahan Journal]
- Pregnant people in ICE detention report lack of medical care [The 19th News]
- ICE Has Abruptly Deported Thousands of Kids. Their Families Say It Traumatized Them. [The Marshall Project]
- Trump’s DOJ Is Pursuing an Unprecedented Legal Strategy to Target Border Crossers [ProPublica]
