By a margin of more than four to one, members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives have approved two bills that will make it harder for illegal immigrants to obtain taxpayer-funded welfare benefits in Oklahoma.

“The reason this is an important conversation is because under the Biden administration every state was a border state and we had open borders,” said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. “And this is affecting Oklahoma.”

Citing the Federation for American Immigration Reform, Hilbert noted it is estimated that U.S. taxpayers spend at least $182 billion annually to cover costs incurred by the presence of 20 million illegal aliens and their children.

House Bill 4423, by Hilbert, requires the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to verify a Medicaid applicant’s citizenship status using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system. Under the bill, no benefits can be provided to an applicant until legal status is confirmed.

House Bill 4422, also by Hilbert, imposes similar requirements on the Oklahoma Department of Human Services when reviewing applications for two other welfare programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, better known as the “food stamp” program) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Under both bills, if the SAVE status indicates a person is not legally in the United States, state agencies are required to notify the Office of the Attorney General, where officials will review the case and notify the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency if an applicant’s legal status is the United States is unverifiable.

Democratic lawmakers opposed the bill, putting forward two separate and largely self-contradicting arguments. On the one hand, Democrats argued that few or no illegal immigrants receive welfare benefits. On the other hand, they claimed many children will be denied benefits because their illegal immigrant parents will be afraid to apply for them.

“Do you share my concern that even conversations like this alone will deter a family from being able to access these benefits?” asked state Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, D-Oklahoma City.

“If conversations like this deter individuals who are illegally present in the United States from receiving welfare, then that’s a positive thing,” Hilbert responded.

State Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, put forward a similar argument.

“A child who is a citizen and who is eligible for these benefits is not able to obtain these benefits themselves. Their parent would have to do it,” McCane said. “Their parent would then be reported to immigration, likely deported. The parent then is making a decision whether the child will stay here or go back with them.”

“The child is in this situation because their parent chose to break the law,” Hilbert responded. “They’re here illegally.”

“Do we require children to be imprisoned with their parents when they are citizens of Oklahoma?” McCane asked.

“Are we referring to people going to their home countries as prison?” Hilbert responded.

Democrats also argued that those who oppose providing taxpayer benefits to illegal immigrants are fueled by racism.

State Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, claimed the legislation “leads to racial discrimination,” describing it as a racial-profiling law.

“If someone who looks like me walks in for services, they will not be questioned,” said Ranson, who is white.

McCane echoed that claim, saying the legislation’s supporters were “willing to echo racist talking points, propaganda and fear tactics.”

The legislation applies equally to all illegal immigrants of all racial backgrounds.

Hilbert said the bill better preserves taxpayer resources for the use of all Oklahomans of all races.

“We have finite resources as a state government,” Hilbert said. “Eventually, you run out of other people’s money.”

Democrats also argued that illegal immigration is a positive economic force.

“In the United States, our economy demands migrants to come to the nation to fill jobs and to make sure that we have a strong economy,” Alonso-Sandoval said.

Supporters of the legislation said policymakers cannot afford to ignore the negative societal consequences created by illegal immigration, which include violent crimes such as drug trafficking and murder.

“The solution to a troubled immigration system is a return to the rule of law,” said state Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland. “The rule of law is necessary in any civilized society or nation or people. Where you have the rule of law you have peace, you have safety, you have blessing and, usually, you have prosperity.” 

“I know that there’s a challenge in Mexico about reaching a place where you can make a living and making the kind of money and the kind of lifestyle that you’d like to have,” said state Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole. “But breaking the law in this country is not the way to do it.”

HB 4422 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an 80-18 vote that broke along party lines with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed.

HB 4423 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an identical 80-18 vote.

Both bills now proceed to the Oklahoma Senate where Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, is the author.

“If you look at our budget this year, we are having a very difficult time finding the state dollars to take care of our own citizens,” Paxton said. “There’s people that need help and the government, we try to do what we can do to make that temporary help, more of a hand up than a handout. But we just don’t have the resources to be able to handle people who are not citizens of this country.”