Tulsa County Sheriff Calls For Change, Says Illegal Immigrants Slip Through Bond System

Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado spoke to Oklahoma house lawmakers on Tuesday about issues law enforcement faces when dealing with Illegal immigrants who are arrested, post bail, and then disappear. 

Regalado says his office struggles to find illegal immigrants who post bond then run away because he says federal officials aren't working fast enough.

Regalado says nearly 10 years ago his office was able to immediately put detainers on illegal immigrants who were arrested.

"Once you dealt with your state charges, whether it was dismissal or prosecution or what have you, you still couldn't go because you had to face immigration court," he said.

Regalado says the last four years TCSO hasn't been allowed to enforce immigration detainers, which he says has made it difficult to keep those suspects accountable.

"It has to go to D.C. then back,” he said. “Well by then, the individual has been allowed to bond out, and more often than not, we don't find them again, so they're not answering to local charges anymore."

Community leader Blanca Zavala says she hasn't heard of this issue.

"Most of them will have a picture ID or something from their country of origin and therefore they will be giving their names," she said.

Regalado says because he says so many illegal immigrants are jumping bonds they shouldn't be offered bonds in the future.

"I mean it's been proven time and time again and so we have to have a mechanism to deal with those people," he said. 

He believes enforcing immigration laws is a federal issue but says TCSO will step in if they have to.

"We have an obligation as local law enforcement to protect our citizens, and our lawmakers need to figure out a way to do that legally," said Regalado.

Sheriff Regalado also mentioned House Bill 4156, which passed this spring but was put on hold by a federal judge, which would allow officers to arrest illegal immigrants in Oklahoma just for being in the country illegally.

Regalado says the bill puts too much liability on officers and would hurt the relationship TCSO has built with the immigration community.