Coates Wants Immigrant Guest Worker Plan

From The Tulsa World ~ A Republican lawmaker on Monday filed proposed legislation to create a state guest worker program for illegal immigrants.

Sen. Harry Coates, R-Seminole, said Senate Bill 995 is designed to re-attract workers who may have left the state following the passage of House Bill 1804, the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007.

"Since the passage of House Bill 1804, we've seen a mass exodus of undocumented immigrants who have taken up residence in Texas and other surrounding states where they pump millions of dollars into those economies," Coates said. "House Bill 1804 did little more than put Oklahoma companies at a disadvantage by sending dedicated, knowledgeable workers to competing companies in other states. Losing that workforce has been devastating for many of Oklahoma's industries, including agriculture, energy and construction."

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Terrill Honored For Immigration Law

Rep. Randy Terrill has been named a winner of the Federation for American Immigration Reform's "We the People" Award.

The award is granted to "people whose efforts have demonstrated exceptional service to the immigration reform movement."

Terrill will receive the award in recognition of his work as author of one of the most meaningful state-level immigration reform laws in the country.

"The Federation for American Immigration Reform has been successfully holding the line in Washington by preventing amnesty for illegal aliens," said Terrill, R-Moore. "House Bill 1804 has become a model not only for other states but for the nation as well. On behalf of the citizens of House District 53 and the taxpayers of the state of Oklahoma, it's an honor to be recognized for that work."

Terrill will be presented the award at a banquet tonight in Washington, D.C.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform is conducting its annual "Hold Their Feet to the Fire" rally this week to encourage Congress to secure the border first and oppose amnesty for illegal aliens.

Terrill is one of three recipients of the "We the People" Award this year. The other honorees are CNN anchor Lou Dobbs and Dr. Rodney Hunt, founder of the Mississippi Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement.

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Catholic Leaders Sign Pledge Of 'Defiance'

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City's Council of Priests, along with Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran, have signed a pledge of "defiance" aimed at the new immigration reform law. The pledge will be delivered to Governor Brad Henry's office on Friday, the signers said. It outlines the clergy leaders' opposition to the law which goes into effect next Thursday.

The pledge reads: This new law is fiercely anti-immigrant and is not reflective of values which respect people and families.

With the advent of this new law, we are standing together in opposition and defiance of this unjust and immoral law.

This law states that to aid, assist or transport any undocumented person in the state of Oklahoma is a felony and “on violating the provisions of subsections A or B of this section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not less than one (1) year, or by a fine of not less than One (1) Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Our various faith traditions instruct us to do good to all peoples. There is no exemption clause for those persons who do not have documentation of their citizenship status. We will not show partiality to those who are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Because this law is overly punitive and makes a felony of the act of providing humanitarian assistance to an undocumented person in need; we the undersigned clergy, religious leaders, and lay people of conscience will not and can not obey this law. We will continue to aid and assist all people regardless of their legal citizenship status, with charitable care and spiritual counsel.

We people of faith and conscience refuse to be defined by fear of Oklahoma’s law which makes servant-leaders felons. Rather, we stand in obedience to faith, hope, and love. We call for repeal of this anti-immigrant bill and for the passage of immigration reform that provides justice for all of God’s children.

We stand together, in solidarity, in defiance of this law because of our allegiance to a higher law; the love of humanity.

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Federal Judge Dismisses Hispanic Lawsuit

U. S. District Judge James Payne of Tulsa today dismissed a lawsuit brought by Hispanic groups seeking to block implementation of House Bill 1804, a state law aimed at illegal immigrants. Payne ordered the case dismissed because he found that none of the plaintiffs in the case had been injured by the law, so they do not have standing to file the suit.

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Tulsa Hispanics Plan Immigration Lawsuit

Tulsa Hispanic leaders announced today they plan a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Oklahoma's new immigration law. House Bill 1804, the Taxpayers and Citizens Protection Act, becomes effective on November 1st. It will make it a felony to transport, conceal or shelter an undocumented immigrant from detection and also prevents illegal immigrants from getting jobs and public assistance.

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Tulsans Spotlight New Immigration Law

From The Tulsa World ~ With less than two months until Oklahoma's new immigration law takes effect, four panelists tried to answer questions Monday night about the past and future of illegal immigration in the United States.

House Bill 1804 is set to take effect Nov. 1. Among other things, it will end most public assistance for illegal immigrants, authorize state and local law enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration law, penalize employers for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, and penalize anyone who knowingly transports or harbors illegal immigrants.

About 100 people attended Monday's panel discussion, titled "Is America Still a Melting Pot?" Held at All Souls Unitarian Church, it was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa, the Oklahoma Conference for Community and Justice, and the Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry. (Read the entire report here.)

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Tulsa Sees Hispanic Student Exodus

Some Tulsa area schools are seeing Hispanic students leaving as a state law targeting illegal immigrants is about to go into effect, it is being reported today.

Principal Judy Feary at Kendall-Whittier Elementary says some students are seen getting into packed cars pulling a moving trailer and they don't return to class.

She says some are heading back to Mexico while others are going to other states. And she says school officials are hearing others are planning to leave in October.

A law passed earlier this year (see story below) takes effect November 1st which requires law officers to check the immigration status of people they arrest on felony and drunken-driving charges. The law is also intended to prevent illegal immigrants from getting jobs and many public benefits.

Celia Clinton Elementary Principal Cindy Taylor says other Hispanics are still in the area but aren't sending their children to school. She says they fear immigration officials will take the children.

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Lindley Challenges Immigration Law

State Rep. Al Lindley, (pictured) D-Oklahoma City, is leading the charge to challenge the state's new immigration law. Four other lawmakers have joined his effort.

Lindley wants a legal opinion on whether the state's new immigration law is enforceable.

Lindley argues that the law requires employers to participate in a program to confirm the citizenship status of workers, yet Congress has chosen to make participation voluntary.

Attorney General Drew Edmondson will assign the letter to an assistant for review, Edmondson's spokesman, Charlie Price, said. The review could take weeks. Portions of the law go into effect on November 1st.

Joining Lindley are Reps. Bill Nations, D-Norman; Al McAffrey, D-Oklahoma City; Wallace Collins, D-Norman; and Scott BigHorse, D-Pawhuska.

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Pizzas For Pesos Draws Fire

A pizza chain has been hit with death threats and hate mail after offering to accept Mexican pesos, becoming another flashpoint in the nation's debate over immigrants. "This is the United States of America, not the United States of Mexico," one e-mail read. "Quit catering to the damn illegal Mexicans," demanded another. Dallas-based Pizza Patron said it was not trying to inject itself into a larger political debate about illegal immigration when it posted signs this week saying "Aceptamos pesos" - or "We accept pesos" - at its 59 stores across Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and California. Pizza Patron spokesman Andy Gamm said the company was just trying to sell more pizza to its customers, 60 percent of whom are Hispanic.

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