Latest news with #PadresUnidosdeTulsa
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US judge pauses enforcement of Oklahoma immigration law
By Dietrich Knauth NEW YORK (Reuters) -A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked enforcement of an Oklahoma law that imposes criminal penalties on non-citizens who enter Oklahoma illegally, saying the law likely intrudes on the federal government's authority over immigration. U.S. District Judge Bernard Jones ruled the law, HB 4156, may not be enforced for at least 14 days while a court challenge proceeds. Jones said he will consider a longer-term injunction of the law after a court hearing in early June. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents Oklahoma-based organization Padres Unidos de Tulsa and several individual plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said the ruling was a "victory for Oklahoma's immigrant community" and a step towards permanently blocking the law. Oklahoma's attorney general Gentner Drummond criticized the decision as "outrageous," saying it would imperil Oklahoma's efforts to stop drug trafficking and other criminal activity in the state. The law empowers state and local law enforcement officers to arrest immigrants suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. A first offense under the law is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of $500, and a second offense is a felony that could result in up to two years in prison. The law also requires a person to leave the state within 72 hours of conviction or release from custody. The Department of Justice, under ex-President Joe Biden, had sued Oklahoma over the law, saying it was an unconstitutional violation of the federal government's immigration authority. But after Republican President Donald Trump was elected, the DOJ dropped its lawsuit. Jones said the change in administration did not impact his finding that Congress intended 'to make immigration regulation exclusively federal,' rather than subject to state-level criminal penalties.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opponents vow to pursue fight over controversial Oklahoma immigration law after feds drop challenge
A young woman places a paper that reads "You chose politics over people. You broke my heart,' on a door at the Oklahoma State Capitol in opposition to House Bill 4156 on May 15. A federal challenge to the controversial immigration law has been dismissed, but other opponents remain committed to fighting against it. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A Tulsa group vowed Friday to continue the fight to block implementation of a controversial anti-immigration law despite the U.S. Department of Justice's decision under the Trump administration to stop challenging its enforcement. Elissa Stiles, one of the attorneys representing Padres Unidos de Tulsa, said the immigration advocates plan to pursue their challenge and will 'absolutely' continue to fight to continue for the injunction blocking the implementation of House Bill 4156. It was unclear Friday afternoon whether the law is currently enforceable after the dismissal. House Bill 4156, signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt in April, created the crime of 'impermissible occupation' for entering the United States without legal authorization. The first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by one year in county jail and a fine of up to $500 or both. The person would be required to leave the state within 72 hours. A second offense is a felony with up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The Department of Justice, which at the time was led by the Biden administration, and Padres Unidos de Tulsa both swiftly sued separately to block implementation. The two suits, both in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, were combined June 5, according to the federal injunction. A federal judge put the law on hold in June, days before it was set to go into effect on July 1. Opponents of the law argued that federal authorities are responsible for immigration enforcement and the law circumvents their authority. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who pushed for the legislation to be passed, appealed the injunction in July. Because the dismissal was just filed, the court has not issued any orders on the case yet, Stiles said. Both the federal government and Padres Unidos filed for the preliminary injunction, so the group's motion was dismissed as 'moot' because the federal government's motion was granted first, she said. Stiles said Padres Unidos' motion for a preliminary injunction will need to be reconsidered and decided on its merits since it was originally dismissed as a duplicative effort. Drummond said in a statement this is a 'commonsense law' and marks the 'start of a new day for public safety.' 'For far too long, Oklahoma law enforcement was stymied because the federal government had declined to do anything about deporting the illegal immigrants found working on these grows,' Drummond said in a statement. 'The nation's porous southern border has been a serious threat to the safety and security of Oklahomans. The sooner we can finally enforce HB 4156, the better.' House lawmakers on Thursday advanced a measure to the Senate that would create a new felony for being in the country illegally. It allow an individual to be arrested and charged with a new felony punishable by five years in prison if they are apprehended for a violation of Oklahoma's criminal law and are determined to be an undocumented immigrant. This effort would also repeal House Bill 4156. A spokesperson for the governor did not respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
