Excluded in the Expansion: The persisting gaps in health care coverage for immigrant Oklahomans

Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma has allowed more than 300,000 residents to enroll for health care, but almost 82,000 Oklahomans who are immigrants remain uninsured. Since the mid-1990s, many immigrants are either partially or entirely ineligible for federal public benefits programs,… Read more [More...]

Expanding driver’s license eligibility is better for all of us

It’s a fact of life that getting around in Oklahoma requires a driver’s license. Because immigrants in Oklahoma who are undocumented are barred from getting one, the lack of a license presents a major challenge for 85,000 Oklahomans to get… Read more [More...]

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in services to vulnerable communities, particularly immigrants

Immigrants have had to bear the pandemic without much federal aid due to complicated rules around eligibility for public benefit programs, limited access to health care, economic limitations, and a variety of other factors. At the state level, Oklahoma did comparatively little to support immigrants as well. [More...]

All Oklahomans pay taxes, but not all of us can reap the rewards

Allowing these workers the opportunity to receive the tax credit can put money back into our state and local economies. Our state should end state-level EITC exclusion for ITIN filers who pay their fair share in taxes and allow them to receive the tax credit they’ve earned.  [More...]

Oklahoma hasn’t always been inclusive of our immigrant communities. It’s time to change that

Oklahoma’s immigrants want their families to thrive, but frequently, unnecessary barriers keep them from being able to realize their full potential— both for themselves and their contributions to our communities. [More...]

The Administration’s new immigration rules are already hurting families – and it’s going to get worse

Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule that will make it harder for low-income immigrants to legally come to the United States, and more difficult to stay here once they’ve come. [More...]

OK PolicyCast 46: A sanctuary for immigrants and their families (with Linda Allegro)

Linda Allegro speaks eloquently about how current approaches to immigration enforcement are breaking apart families, hurting public safety, and wasting tax dollars. [More...]

No family should be punished for accepting help when they need it

UPDATE (8/12/19): This week the Trump Administration is expected to submit a final rule on public charge that is set to take effect in 60 days. The Department of Homeland Security noted that, “While some commenters provided support for the… Read more [More...]

On immigration rhetoric, consider the facts

Undocumented Oklahomans are woven into the fabric of our communities in countless ways. Many have lived here for decades as they raise U.S.-born children, and they often work difficult, labor-intensive jobs that few legal residents will take. As the race… Read more [More...]

To improve public safety and insurance rates, allow undocumented Oklahomans to drive legally

This post is by OK Policy intern Jacob Tharp. Jacob is a recent University of Oklahoma graduate in Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies. Oklahoma’s approximately 95,000 undocumented immigrants are a force in Oklahoma’s economy, accounting for about 1… Read more [More...]