Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has announced plans to deport over 500 convicted illegal immigrants from the state’s prisons, aligning with President-elect Donald Trump’s forthcoming border mandates.
Speaking to the Washington Examiner, Stitt confirmed that as soon as Trump takes office in January, Oklahoma will move to transfer these inmates to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We want to be the first state that works with President Trump,” Stitt said. “Right now, we have over 500 people incarcerated in Oklahoma who have broken the law, who are criminals, and they also are illegal,” the governor added. “We would love to get them out of the state of Oklahoma, out of the country.”
The state currently spends $36,000 per day to house 526 illegal immigrants in its prison system. Stitt’s plan to hand them over to ICE before their sentences are completed aims to alleviate the financial burden on taxpayers while supporting Trump’s immigration enforcement priorities.
Stitt emphasized that the initiative underscores Oklahoma’s commitment to public safety and fiscal responsibility, marking it as one of the first states to align with the incoming administration’s tough stance on illegal immigration.
“We’re going to turn them over immediately to get them out of here,” the governor said. “I don’t know how any Oklahoman would argue with me. I don’t think on this, and I don’t know how Americans would think this is not very reasonable.”