HB4156 makes illegal migration a state crime punishable by fine and/or imprisonment and requires any person convicted or released from custody to leave Oklahoma within 72 hours.
The House passed HB4156 on April 18, 2024, by a vote of 77 to 20. We have assigned pluses to the yeas because persons who enter the United States illegally—which, by definition, is a crime under federal law—should not be permitted sanctuary in Oklahoma, let alone be aided and abetted by state or local law enforcement officials. Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution clearly gives Congress power to “establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization.” Rather than pursue blatantly unconstitutional and anti-American policies that undermine the rule of law and erode the value of citizenship, each of the several States should exercise its sovereign powers under the 10th Amendment to end the illegal-migrant invasion and provide for the public safety.