State agencies partnering with ICE to detain undocumented criminals in Oklahoma

The State of Oklahoma is ramping up operations targeting immigration enforcement, including working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify and remove undocumented criminals.

Gov. Kevin Stitt announced three new federal agreements on Friday that will place state officers on ICE task forces.

RELATED: Oklahoma reaches agreement to expand state immigration enforcement

What is the goal of this policy?

Stitt said by working directly with ICE, state law enforcement officers will now have additional tools to "keep dangerous criminals off our streets and protect Oklahomans.”

State leaders say the goal is to ensure public safety by removing dangerous undocumented criminals and preventing them from slipping through legal gaps.

What is changing in Oklahoma regarding immigration enforcement?

This move will put state agencies on the front lines of federal immigration enforcement, with the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation having more authority when it comes to handling undocumented criminals.

Supporters call the agreements a win for public safety, but critics warn it could lead to overreach.

How will this work in real-life situations?

State leaders say for several years, officers would arrest undocumented criminals, but unless ICE stepped in quickly, many of those offenders would bond out of jail.

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton now says in the event an officer makes an arrest of an undocumented person, that person is booked into jail.

“Let’s say a state trooper makes an arrest for DUI—somebody who’s putting your family and my family in danger by driving intoxicated,” Tipton explained. "In the past, they might have bonded out, and without a valid ID, they wouldn’t show back up for court. So, they’re just back on the streets, free to re-offend and put our families in more jeopardy.”

Who will be enforcing this?

Under these new agreements between the State of Oklahoma and ICE though, specially trained state officers will now have the power to question, arrest, and immediately flag someone's immigration status.

State officers will undertake rigorous federal training before joining the task force, and will operate under ICE supervision to enforce these laws.

What kind of power will these officers have under the agreement?

The agreement expands the power of state law enforcement in a number of ways:

1. Interrogate individuals about their immigration status
2. Arrest suspected undocumented individuals without a warrant - if they’re deemed a flight risk
3. Execute immigration-related arrest warrants
4. Issue ICE detainers
5. Transfer individuals to ICE custody

Tipton says this will keep undocumented criminals from cycling through the system and disappearing.

"Now there's going to be a method to remove them from the state and remove them from the country, and the cooperation with the federal government helps us identify who they even are," Tipton said. "Because there's potentially millions of them, even in the State of Oklahoma."

Are there any concerns about the agreements?

Critics are voicing concerns these new agreements could lead to racial profiling and wide-sweeping crackdowns, but Tipton said he insists their focus is on targeting the dangerous criminals, not conducting random roundups.

“This isn’t about random arrests, it’s about stopping people who are a danger to our communities,” Tipton said.

However, those against the agreements say they still worry they could also lead to wrongful detentions and the separation of non-violent individuals from their families.

Read the agreements with the Department of Public Safety, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.