Oklahoma’s Bold Step! Task Force Formed to Tackle Immigration and Work Permits

Oklahoma City (KOKH) – Governor Kevin Stitt says he’s looking into how the controversial immigration bill will affect Oklahoma’s workforce. Governor Stitt says he’s forming a work permits and visas task team to address those concerns. “I know we have a broken workforce visa, immigration policy,” Governor Stitt stated. “It’s broken.”

The federal government isn’t solving it. I formed this task committee merely to ask, “Oklahoma, can we do our own workforce visas?” Stitt says he formed the Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force “to find ways to bolster our workforce and create opportunities for those who are already here contributing to our communities and economy.”

“If you are going to pay taxes, work hard, and contribute to the Oklahoma economy and community, we need more workers. We require it in our manufacturing, agriculture, and construction sectors. I’m not talking about US citizenship; I’m talking about a work visa.”

Chad Warmington, President and CEO of the Oklahoma State Chamber, says his team is excited about the idea.

“We’ve been very concerned about workforce issues in the state of Oklahoma,” Warmington said in a statement. “More immigrants to Oklahoma is part of that solution.” The State Chamber believes that there are around 35,000 fewer persons than there are available employment.

“Bringing immigrants to our state is one way we can help fill those jobs. Having more people here who can legally work is part of the solution to filling those jobs. That helps our economy become the type of economy we want it to be.

While the task force has some support, Cynthia Garcia of Dream Action Oklahoma opposes the proposal. “People are already talking about leaving the state,” Garcia went on to say. “That will not be mitigated by this task force. The immediate repercussions of the legislature and Governor Stitt passing that law are clear: he continues to use anti-immigrant rhetoric.”

She describes it as a toothless strategy.

“I think it’s important to name the task force for what it is: it’s a tactic to try to mitigate a really harmful policy that will have detrimental implications in the community, for not just immigrant people, just the state of Oklahoma at large.”

Garcia claims that the Governor continues to demonstrate to Oklahomans his lack of understanding of immigration law.