Sen. Deevers files bills to combat illegal immigration, visa program abuses

Deevers Introduces Slate of America First Immigration Bills Protecting Oklahoma Workers and Sovereignty

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 16th) - On Friday, Senator Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, announced the introduction of a slate of five America First immigration bills aimed at curbing illegal immigration and protecting Oklahoma workers from visa program abuses.

“Oklahomans are incredible people with an incredible heritage and work ethic. Reckless federal immigration policies in recent decades are stealing that inheritance and displacing Oklahoma workers,” Deevers said. “These five proposals come from a place of love for Oklahoma and its people; the hard-working men, women, and families who are the lifeblood of our state. We need policies that put them first."

SB2073 prohibits all state entities from taking jobs from Oklahomans through use of the H1B and OPT programs. Insultingly sold to Americans as the way to fill high-skilled positions that supposedly no Americans are capable of, H1B, in reality, is used to fill dozens of positions within Oklahoma state entities paying less than $50,000 per year.

“The Oklahoma government should serve the people of Oklahoma,” Deevers said. “Our taxpayer-funded state entities and universities should serve as a pipeline for Oklahoma’s own graduates. This bill stops the practice of our state government using ‘specialty visas’ like H-1B to bypass Oklahomans for entry level and high-skill positions.”

SB2076 bans state contracts with companies utilizing H1B and OPT employees instead of Oklahomans. “Corporate interests should not be allowed to profit from state contracts while simultaneously displacing Oklahoma workers with lower-paid foreign visa holders,” Deevers said. “Oklahoma tax dollars should be for Oklahomans.”

SB1850 establishes E-verify in Oklahoma to ensure illegal immigrants are not displacing Oklahoma workers. E-Verify is a system that confirms legal residency by matching employee information against existing SSA or DHS records. It provides the government no information it does not already have and keeps no personal data. E-verify only informs employers whether the employee is a legal resident.

“This bill is the ‘off switch’ for the magnet attracting illegal immigration to Oklahoma. For too long, businesses who play by the rules and pay fair wages to Oklahoma workers have been systematically undercut by competitors who use illegal labor to slash costs,” Deevers said. “Not only is it an economic injustice but it has allowed a shadow economy to flourish where fake permanent resident cards are used to bypass our laws—a reality brought home by the alleged gang rape in Pauls Valley where suspects were reportedly able to live and work in our state using fraudulent documents. By mandating E-Verify, we close the loopholes that allow dangerous individuals to hide in plain sight and ensure Oklahoma jobs are reserved for those here legally.”

SB2056 increases the remittance tax on foreign wire transfers from $5 plus one percent to $10 plus three percent. “This bill ensures that wealth generated in the Oklahoma economy stays in Oklahoma rather than being siphoned off to foreign nations,” Deevers said. “By increasing the tax on remittances, we can discourage and help offset the public costs of illegal immigration.

SB2098 establishes that citizenship is not automatically granted to children born to two illegal immigrant parents. “Children born to two illegal immigrant parents should, at least originally, remain under the same legal jurisdiction as their parents,” Deevers said. “This discourages amnesty-by-proxy schemes and ensures families stay together during immigration law enforcement. SB2098 finally puts an end to the 'birthright' loophole that incentivizes lawlessness,” Deevers said.

These bills to put Oklahomans first, protect Oklahoma jobs, and secure public safety are eligible to be heard in the 2026 legislative session beginning February 2nd.