OKLAHOMA CITY — In a bold move to align with President-elect Donald Trump‘s immigration policies, Oklahoma is rolling out a pilot program aimed at expediting the deportation of convicted illegal immigrants currently incarcerated in state prisons. Governor Kevin Stitt announced the initiative on Friday, revealing plans to turn over more than 500 inmates to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) once Trump takes office in January 2025.
“We want to be the first state to work with President Trump,” Stitt declared in a phone interview with the Washington Examiner. “We have over 500 people incarcerated in Oklahoma who are criminals and also in the country illegally. We want to get them out of Oklahoma and out of the country.”
As of Friday, Oklahoma prisons are housing 526 criminal illegal immigrants, costing the state an estimated $36,000 per day for their upkeep. Under the new plan, these individuals would be handed over to ICE before completing their prison sentences, a move that could significantly reduce the state’s financial burden while contributing to Trump’s mass deportation efforts.
Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton will be in charge of Operation Guardian, which aims to work with regional and state law enforcement organizations to track down and transfer criminal illegal immigrants to ICE. Tipton expressed concern over the growing influence of transnational criminal organizations in the state, citing the “open border policy” as a major factor in this shift.
“If successful, this program could be expanded to other states,” Tipton said. The state of Oklahoma makes an effort to safeguard its citizens from the risks posed by illegal immigrants who engage in criminal activity.
However, the program’s potential impact on crime victims has sparked concern. Naida Henao, head of engagement for the Network for Victim Recovery of DC, explained that survivors may feel uneasy knowing that perpetrators of their crimes could be deported without serving out their full sentences. “If someone is deported, I don’t know where they are or if they’ll return,” Henao said. “Victims often feel less safe when the system loses track of those who have harmed them.”
The launch of Oklahoma’s pilot program coincides with Trump’s campaign promise to prioritize the deportation of individuals with criminal backgrounds and those who have been ordered deported but remain in the country. As part of this initiative, Trump has appointed former ICE director Tom Homan as his “border czar” to spearhead the operation.
While it remains uncertain if ICE has sufficient resources to house over 500 detainees, the program could significantly reduce the state’s prison costs, potentially saving Oklahoma more than $1 million per month in housing expenses.
Governor Stitt has emphasized that the state is not requesting additional ICE agents but rather asking for more efficient cooperation between local law enforcement and federal authorities to address criminal activity. “When we catch criminal activity, we’ll turn them over to the feds,” Stitt stated. “We know the Trump administration will do the right thing and deport them.”
This effort marks a significant step in Oklahoma’s approach to immigration enforcement, with the potential to serve as a model for other states looking to tackle illegal immigration and crime simultaneously.
