In a collective press release this week, Gov. Kevin Stitt and 25 other Republican governors say they stand ready to deploy local law enforcement or the National Guard to help Trump.
Late last month, Stitt told Fox News about Oklahoma’s preemptive move to aid the incoming administration on the immigration front: Operation Guardian.
“That’s why I put Operation Guardian in place,” Stitt said. “To work with President Trump so day one in office, we can get on these illegals that have committed criminal activity out of the state of Oklahoma.”
Stitt has already committed Oklahoma National Guardsmen this year to help Texas with their border security and immigration enforcement deal called Operation Lone Star. Any more support to federal authorities or other states would be just that — more.
He also signed last session’s Republican-championed House Bill 4156, which criminalizes anyone in the state without legal status with a threat of fine and jail time.
Between Operation Guardian, which is managed by Oklahoma’s Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton, House Bill 4156 and deployments of National Guardsmen, Stitt could have most of Oklahoma's primary means of law enforcement mobilized to facilitate the deportation of criminal – or not – unauthorized immigrants by federal authorities.
For now, though, the sweeping law is stuck in court, the Oklahoma National Guard has only helped enforce immigration in Texas, and Operation Guardian seems exclusively focused on people who are already incarcerated.
The true rollout of Trump’s lofty immigration policy goals is pending his inauguration, an actual plan, and congressional buy-in. Not to mention the unpromised cooperation of local authorities.
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