OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — What was first planned to be only a Hispanic cultural celebration, the annual Hispanic Cultural Day at the Capitol shifted to a day of protest against HB 4156. Hundreds gathered to express their frustration with the recent signing of a controversial anti-immigration bill.
New Law Criminalizes Unauthorized Entry into Oklahoma
On April 30, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 4156 which will make “impermissible occupation”, or entering the state without legal authorization to be in the United States, a crime.
“I think Americans are fed up with the porous borders and the illegal crossings that are coming in,” Stitt said during press availability Friday. “And so we’re just wanting the Biden administration to actually fix that.”
The law will take effect on July 1, 2024.
Floods of concern came from all cultural communities, leading organizers of the Hispanic Cultural Day at the Capitol to switch from only doing inside activities.
The new layout of the event included a rally, organized advocacy and cultural celebrations.
Event Unites Communities in Response to HB 4156
Rep. Arturo Alonso Sandoval (D-Oklahoma City) said the event’s purpose was to unite communities that may be impacted by HB 4125.
“Today was a huge day, especially for the immigrant community in Oklahoma, the Hispanic community, and a lot of the communities impacted by legislation like HB 4156,” Sandoval said. “We brought out 1000s of people, families, students, graduates, workers, business leaders and faith leaders to stand in solidarity with the immigrant community that contributes in so many different ways to the state of Oklahoma.
Sandoval said the state and immigrant communities have a lot of fear and anxiety due to the bill. Additionally, he said they organized the event this way to show state leaders that these communities have a place in Oklahoma.
“We belong, we’re contributing members and not terrorists, criminals, traffickers, people that are doing as much as they can to contribute to themselves, their families, and in doing so to contribute in so many ways to the state of Oklahoma,” Sandoval said.
Public Expresses Opposition to HB 4156 at Governor’s Office
People left messages on doors leading to Stitt’s office.
“I live in your district and opposed HB4156. You chose politics over people. You broke my heart,” the letter read with names and their town attached.
With the bill already signed, the Oklahoma Legislative Latino Caucus said to still advocate for creating a more “comprehensive and fair policy initiative.”
“While the issue of immigration remains largely a federal-level issue, there were things we could do on the state level to secure Oklahoma’s future,” Rep. Annie Menz (D-Norman) said in a statement after the signing. “The Legislature has the resources, the will, and the intelligence to create good and lasting policy, which HB 4156 is not. As a result of this bill becoming law, a lot of good, hard-working people will leave Oklahoma.”
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Oklahoma Law Enforcement Leaders Oppose HB 4156 Over Safety Concerns
Even Oklahoma law enforcement agencies expressed their concern over the bill. The Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police and Metro Law Enforcement Agency leaders released a joint statement opposing the bill.
“While we acknowledge the importance of legislative efforts to enhance public safety, we have found that this law conflicts with many existing directives governing law enforcement practices throughout Oklahoma,” the statement said.
The bill will push the obligation of detaining undocumented immigrants to Oklahoma law enforcement. This shift occurs even though federal officials are already tasked with this responsibility.
“This bill places crime victims at risk by increasing the fear of reporting to law enforcement. Further, HB4156 brings forth legal challenges in fair and impartial policing and anti-racial profiling,” the statement said. “This law has the potential to destroy the connections and relationships we have built within our local immigrant communities and sets us back for many years to come.”
On May 8, Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley told KOCO 5 News that House Bill 4156’s exact wording. He noted that the expectations for its enforcement had “pretty much caught” his department off guard.
“We were not brought into the loop at all or consulted,” Gourley told KOCO. “I’ve talked to the metro chiefs … and we’re all very concerned about it and how we’re going to enforce this, the demand it’s going to put on our personnel, how do you do it without racially profiling – especially with the way the law is written.”
Speaker of the House Charles McCall (R-Atoka) and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) authored the bill.
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