Melissa Jacques
Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY — Creating a new “driver’s privilege card” for undocumented migrants and an office to help them navigate state and federal laws are among the recommendations expected from a governor’s task force.
The Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force was created by Gov. Kevin Stitt via an executive order released after he signed a controversial immigration bill. Enforcement of that law, House Bill 4186, is currently under injunction and faces a lawsuit from the federal government.
In the executive order, Stitt cited “an unprecedented border security crisis” and a flood of “Chinese Nationals and terror organizations” as issues necessitating legislative intervention.
“The current federal administration has refused to responsibly issue work permits or visas to thousands of immigrants who have long filled gaps in Oklahoma’s workforce,” the governor’s order states.
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The task force approved a final report with some small changes in its last meeting this Monday. The report details the group’s policy recommendations for the governor and the Legislature.
According to a draft of the final report, Stitt’s task force will recommend developing an office to help undocumented immigrants navigate federal and state laws to attain legal status. It also is expected to recommend creating a council of stakeholders to offer insight on the experience and concerns of undocumented immigrants.
After looking at other states with similar programs, the task force also is recommending that a “driver’s privilege card” be developed for undocumented immigrants so that they can legally drive. Restrictions will apply, and the card will not allow anyone to circumvent the voter registration process.
“I think the members of the task force took it seriously and really dug deeply into the issues to be able to see what the state of Oklahoma can do,” said Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, who observed the task force meeting. “And so if it means doing something that can potentially increase revenue to the state of Oklahoma, reduce uninsured motorist rates and also make law enforcement safer, then I think it’s hard to fight against it.”
Among other task force recommendations: Licensing boards and commissions will be urged to consider creating a smoother process for migrants with transferable skills to become licensed in Oklahoma.
“We learned through the task force that almost 70% of noncitizens in America have advanced degrees,” said Tricia Everest, who chaired the task force and serves as secretary of public safety in Stitt’s Cabinet. “Those individuals are working in jobs that don’t recognize the education and the ability that they have.”
After the meeting, Everest said she has learned a lot about the intricacies of the immigration system during her time as chairwoman of the task force.
“I did not realize the depth of how outdated the system is and how restrictive it is,” she said. “And yet at the same time, it’s not good from a public safety standpoint. It’s not good for recruitment or retention. It’s not good for people who come to university for higher education, because they actually can’t stay and use those services and train for the areas that we need them. There’s so many limitations to receiving visas needed to really allow that American dream to thrive.”
The task force has 11 members, including stakeholders from multiple areas of government and a member from the Mexican Consulate in Oklahoma City.
“When the governor issued the executive order, I thought it was a privilege for the consulate to have been included as a member of the task force and an excellent opportunity for us to sit at the table and give our opinion,” said Head Consul Edurne Pineda. “I thought it was a very ambitious action, because the immigration framework comes from the federal level. So to manage immigration without having the power to actually write the law that affects the immigration status of a person, that is very challenging.”
Pineda said her fellow task force members surprised her with their thoughtfulness and honesty. She believes that the recommendations are a good step forward while still realistic about the scope of what can be done.
In the long term, Brooks sees potential problems with getting these policies through the Legislature. He wrote legislation creating a way for undocumented immigrants to legally drive in Oklahoma, a policy the task force is recommending, but none of his bills was taken up during the last session.
“And so as long as people are wanting to pick sides in that football game, we’re never going to get anywhere,” Brooks said in an interview with the Tulsa World. “But if people want to talk about policy and actually make a difference, there are ways that we can stabilize this, and we can show the federal government how it’s done.”
Everest said she understands how politically difficult it may be for the Legislature to follow through on recommendations from the task force.
“We also are acutely aware that you should never think that you’re going to be making big changes during a presidential election,” she said. “So even amidst how hard-working this group came together, we absolutely recognize that we’ve created a document for when that landscape is better, to be able to utilize the recommendations and move forward.”
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