On March 16, 2011, the Oklahoma State Senate approved an immigration bill similar to the controversial Arizona immigration law SB 1070 [PDF]. The Oklahoma law, Senate Bill 908 [PDF], passed by a 29-15 majority vote. The bill would allow local and state law enforcement agents, making a lawful traffic stops or arrests, to investigate a person's immigration status if they believe the person is an alien. The legislation is still pending. But this was not the state's first controversial immigration legislation. In June 2011, the Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld most of HB 1804 [PDF], which is titled the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007. The law prevents illegal immigrants from obtaining state identification and requires employers to investigate a person's immigration status.

Learn more about Oklahoma and the laws governing immigration from the JURIST news archive.