Oklahoma Immigration Bill Targets Smugglers, Not Businesses
Here’s a good indication as to where Oklahoma lawmakers’ minds are. The Associate Press is reporting
An illegal immigration bill being considered by lawmakers this year will target human smugglers and others who prey on illegal immigrants, but will do nothing to penalize employers who hire illegal workers, the House author of the measure said Wednesday.
The bill authorizes state and local police to “recommend immigrants for certain types of visas if the immigrants report and aid in the investigation of illegal criminal activity.” So immigrants can get a bye if they tell on the smugglers who brought them here, because human smuggling is against the law. But so is hiring the undocumented. This is where the Republican agenda runs contrary to itself.
Many Republicans across Oklahoma campaigned on cracking down on illegal immigrants, and the GOP swept to power during last year’s elections by extending their majorities in the House and Senate and capturing the governor’s office. But the push against illegal immigrants has run headlong into another Republican priority — creating a pro-business environment — and business and industry leaders have quietly resisted attempts to add more restrictions on the hiring of illegal immigrant workers.
You can’t have it both ways, can you?
The Oklahoma legislators that were voted into office last year are spearheading this initiative – and they’re trying to appease the Tea Party folks who got them there and at the same time not antagonize business and Latino voters. And they thought it would be easy…
(Executive Director of the Latino Community Development Agency, Patricia) Fennell said. “The Latino vote is gaining significance every year … and immigration has become the ping pong ball in the political game.”
What’s interesting is that some Republican legislators are saying they don’t like the bill, but you’d be surprised as to why (or maybe not):
“I don’t want to be tied to this bill in any way,” said (Sen. Ralph) Shortey, R-Oklahoma City. “Even the most ignorant people in the state will look at this thing and say it’s a pseudo-amnesty bill. This is not an illegal immigration bill. This is a ‘we want to help you be more comfortable in our state’ bill.”
According to the US Census 17% of the population of Oklahoma City is Latino; that’s about 98,600..
Follow Victor Landa on Twitter: @vlanda
[Photo by .Kayne.]
