Immigration Reform to be proposed in Oklahoma

A judge stopped part of the state immigration law just hours before it was set to go into effect Thursday.

It would have required police to check the immigration status of people they arrest, but the judge said immigration is the job of the feds, not states.

Last legislative session some state lawmakers wanted to create a similar law to the one in Oklahoma.

Francisco Trevino with the Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce says the judge's actions could have an effect on that proposed legislation.

"The way it would effect other legislators are (now) going to think twice before presenting something similar to the state of Arizona," said Trevino.

Maybe some legislators, but not Doctor Mike Ritze.

"Arizona just stepped up to the plate. Oklahoma will do the same this next session," said Ritze.

He's co-authoring a bill that will have similar language to Arizona's, but Trevino says a state law is unnecessary.

"Immigration is a federal issue not a state issue because if you have one state doing one thing and Oklahoma does another thing and Texas does another thing, it's going to be a crazy, crazy, crazy United States of America," said Trevino.

"The federal government is not doing their job so the states are having to step up to the plates, so to speak, and make sure that we secure the borders," said Ritze.

"Keep calling the congress people, senate saying we need a comprehensive immigration reform," said Trevino.

"We've asked them repeatedly and they're negligent. The federal government is negligent on this, that's why the state's are having to reign in and protect it," said Ritze.

Ritze says an interim study on immigration is being done this summer and fall and lawmakers will use that when drafting the state immigration bill.