OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has joined 21 other state attorneys general in urging a federal appeals court to reinstate Texas’ immigration law.
The law, blocked by a federal judge, would have made illegal border crossings a state crime and allowed Texas courts to deport people who entered the country unlawfully. The judge ruled immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility.
Drummond argued that weak federal enforcement strains state resources, burdens healthcare systems, and creates public safety risks. “When federal action falls short, states like Oklahoma must retain the authority to protect our citizens,” he said.
In a legal brief filed in United States v. Texas, the coalition pushed for states’ rights to pass laws aimed at safeguarding their residents, pointing to record numbers of southern border crossings. They asked the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to reverse the ruling.
States joining Oklahoma include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
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