Oklahoma Lawmakers Recognized for Immigration Stance

Oklahoma Lawmakers
Recognized for Immigration Stance

The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers is hosting its annual executive board meeting in Oklahoma City this week to show support for the immigration reform Oklahoma lawmakers passed into law last year.

The executive board which includes several formal
chiefs of the United States Border Patrol is holding
its meeting at the Biltmore Hotel.

Kent Lundgren, chairman of the association and a
retired assistant chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, said
the board came to the Capitol Wednesday to thank
lawmakers for fighting for immigration reform in light
of the failure to do so at the federal level.

"We want to thank these legislators for having the guts
to do this," he said of passing House Bill 1804. "They
paid a personal price."

The legislation empowers local law enforcement to
enforce immigration law, eliminates most state
benefits for those here illegally and penalizes
employers who are unwilling to run all new-hires
through a federal screening process to ensure they
can legally work in the United States.

"The federal government's failure to do anything with
this issue is effectively making every state a border
state," said Rep. Randy Terrill, the author of House
Bill 1804. "The threat illegal immigration poses to this
country is second only to the danger from radical
Islamic terrorism-one seeks to destroy us from the
outside, the other from the inside."

Bill Glenn, a former intelligence officer for the U.S.
Border Patrol, said a push for amnesty or a legal
guest worker program will not solve the issues
businesses have with immigration reform.

Often, opponents of reform say illegal immigrants
are the only ones who will do certain jobs, like
picking agriculture crops or roofing a house. Glenn
said if those workers were given legal status, even
temporarily to work, they would no longer fear
deportation and would start to demand higher wages
and better working conditions.

"The only way they keep them down on the farm is by
keeping them illegal," Glenn said. "Their wages remain
low only because of their illegal status. Legalize them
and they will demand higher wages and seek better jobs
themselves."

Lundgren said, workers already have to compete for
jobs in the global economy as more local jobs are
shipped overseas.

"American workers should not have to compete with
foreign workers down the street," said Lundgren. "I
think in the long term this Oklahoma law will be
shown as the turning point on immigration reform
in the country."

Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R-Moore, disputes that
immigration is purely a federal issue.

"The states are the true laboratories of democracy,
and immigration reform is a perfect example. If it
works here, it will be modeled elsewhere, and if
another state is doing something successful, we will
copy it here," he said. "That is what is great about
democratic government."

The annual board meeting is being hosted by Don
Coppock of Cherokee, a constituent of Rep. Jeff
Hickman. Coppock began a 33-year career as a
border patrolman in 1941, and served as the head
of the U.S. Border Patrol from 1960 until 1973. Even
at the age of 97, Coppock remains active with the
association and engaged in the issue of illegal
immigration.

"The issue of illegal immigration remains a
complicated one, even for lawmakers who have
been studying it the last few years, but I learned
more from talking with these former Border Patrol
officers for two hours this morning than I have in
my three years as a state legislator," said Hickman,
R-Fairview.

"To address this issue, we must first understand it
and I appreciate the willingness of these officers to
share their knowledge and the history of this issue
with those of us who are continuing to try to make
sure Oklahoma is doing what we should in the area
of illegal immigration."

House Speaker Chris Benge (top, third from left) joins
Rep. Randy Terrill and other House Republicans with
members of the National Association of Former Border
Patrol Officers in the House lounge.