The task force was established by Governor Kevin Stitt following his signing of an immigration bill into law this spring. The task force was created to develop policies to accompany the new legislation. The legislation, House Bill 4156, criminalizes the presence of individuals in the state without legal immigration status and empowers state and local law enforcement to remove undocumented immigrants from Oklahoma. “I am launching the Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas (OSWPV) Task Force to find ways to bolster our workforce and create opportunities for those who are here contributing to our communities and economy,” Stitt said this spring upon signing the legislation. “Governors should have more authority over the H1-B visa process so we can better address the workforce needs of our economies. This task force will be a step in that direction.” The task force comprises 11 members, including immigration attorneys, higher education stakeholders, and representatives from the Mexican Consulate. The group unanimously approved five recommendations that will be submitted to state lawmakers:An Oklahoma task force is recommending a suite of policy changes that would expand protections for illegal aliens to work in the state.
1. Creating an Office of New Oklahomans to promote interagency coordination and collaboration on issues impacting noncitizens in the state and federal governments. 2. Empowering employers, internationally trained talent, and migrant workers with the tools and information necessary to fill high-need sector jobs. 3. Promoting policies that optimize efficiency for international talent navigating the credentialing process. 4. Piloting innovative solutions to increase work permits and visas issued to noncitizens seeking to move and/or live in Oklahoma. 5. Issuing Driving Privilege Cards to qualifying immigrants to address public safety concerns. Secretary of Public Safety Tricia Everest, who chaired the task force, said this week that the effort is to help ensure that anyone who wants to come and work in Oklahoma is able to do so. “We want the American dream to flourish,” Everest told News 9. “We have so many barriers to recruiting and retaining global talent here in Oklahoma.” Everest said that Congress has failed to adequately address this issue, leaving it up to states to find workable solutions. “What's missing in general in America and in Oklahoma is the ability for people to be able to work here and to be able to thrive without the fear of being removed and losing their families,” she added. "If we have noncitizens, and they’re coming and training in our universities, and they become specialists in fields where we need them — if we need nurses — there’s not enough visas available nationally where they can actually practice here," Everest said.
