OKLAHOMA CITY – The congressional session for this year is coming up in just a few weeks. That means that lawmakers will soon start looking over hundreds of bills. One bill would not let people in Oklahoma use driver’s cards that were given to undocumented immigrants by other states.
Rep. Molly Jenkins, R-Coyle, said, “If you came into the United States illegally, you broke the law.” It doesn’t make sense to me to praise people who break the law… Being able to drive in Oklahoma is an honor.
Williams wrote House Bill 1043, also known as the Respect for Citizens Act of 2025.
The bill is based on a law in Florida that does the same thing. It would make it illegal for foreigners who are not in the country legally to drive a car with a license from another state.
A group called the National Immigration Law Center says that 19 states and D.C. have rules that let illegal immigrants get a driver’s license.
Jenkins said, “Those licenses won’t work in Oklahoma, and if they are caught driving on our roads, they will be given a ticket.” “When I went door-to-door in my area, people spoke out loud and clearly… It’s not okay for illegal drivers to be on our streets.
Representative Arturo Alonso-Sandoval (D-Oklahoma City) doesn’t agree. He said the bill was “tough.”
Alonso-Sandoval said, “This bill will only make people less safe.” “It also hurts the trust that police have worked hard to build up in the immigrant community.”
He is worried that the bill will make illegal immigrants less likely to report crimes, which could waste police officers’ time.
Alonso-Sandoval said, “They bring up bills like this that don’t really solve anything; they’re all based on fear and are all meant to separate our communities from their neighbors.”
On November 1, 2025, HB 1043 would become law if it is passed.
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