3 Takeaways: Agreement to be finalized for 'Operation Guardian' expansion

Saturday Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that the state is finalizing a memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to expand the enforcement of Operation Guardian.

Here are three key takeaways from the announcement:

1. An agreement is being finalized between state and federal agents to roll out Operation Guardian. 
2. Operation Guardian is now geared towards any undocumented citizen in Oklahoma, instead of the initial aim at incarcerated undocumented immigrants. 
3. Governor Kevin Stitt says Oklahoma is one of the first states to enter into an agreement like this.

The agreement would allow Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers, along with Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) agents, to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and remove undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

"President Trump is fulfilling his promise of a secure border and removing those who are a threat to public safety,” Stitt said in a statement. “We’ll be able to leverage our existing law enforcement infrastructure and federal resources to enforce the law and keep Oklahomans safe. There will be no haven for illegal immigrants who break our laws.”

Under the agreement, ICE will grant certain enforcement authority to state law enforcement agencies, allowing them to join ICE task forces in investigating and apprehending individuals considered threats to public safety. Oklahoma is among the first states to enter into such an agreement.

“This agreement marks a significant step in our ongoing mission to keep Oklahomans safe through Operation Guardian,” Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton said. “By joining forces with ICE, our state law enforcement agencies will have additional tools to apprehend dangerous individuals who threaten our communities.”

Background: When it was first announced, Operation Guardian was an initiative geared towards deporting illegal immigrants who were incarcerated in Oklahoma prisons. 

In order to deport undocumented prisoners, Governor Kevin Stitt would be required to commute their sentence. It was something the governor initially said he would look at on a case-by-case basis.

The new agreement now includes all undocumented citizens who are in Oklahoma illegally, not just incarcerated individuals. 

Previous Operation Guardian Coverage:

1. Operation Guardian by the numbers: The breakdown of illegal immigrants in Oklahoma prisons
2. Operation Guardian: Oklahoma launches plan to deport hundreds of incarcerated illegal immigrants
3. Oklahoma's Own In Focus: Operation Guardian, Immigration