Oklahoma legislators have introduced dozens of bills on immigration for this legislative session, including proposals that would require law enforcement agencies to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, mandate enhanced citizenship verification by employers and restrict foreign land ownership. 

The 2026 legislative session starts Monday. Here’s a rundown of the notable measures. 

Access to Oklahoma’s colleges and universities

Five lawmakers have introduced bills to ban students who aren’t in the country legally from receiving in-state tuition at Oklahoma colleges and universities. The bills are SB 1247, SB 2050, SB 1633, HB 3551 and HB 3598. 

The bills come after a federal judge in August blocked a law that allowed students in the country illegally to pay in-state college tuition if they graduated from an Oklahoma high school. A spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education told the Oklahoman at the time that about 400 students in its system would be impacted. 

Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, filed SB 1249, which would prohibit state colleges from using state funds to grant scholarships or discounted tuition to foreign national students. 

He also introduced SB 1248, which would bar students who aren’t in the country legally from enrolling in state colleges, and SB 1315, which would ban students from countries classified by the U.S. Department of State as “of particular concern” from enrolling in state colleges. 

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Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, who serves as the vice chair of the Senate education committee, authored SB 2006, which would ban public colleges from using state funds to provide scholarships or grants to foreign national students from countries designated by the Department of State as “of particular concern.” 

Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, has authored SB 1669, which would require every public college to publish annual reports on the number of enrolled students from foreign countries, a list of the countries and the percentage of total enrollment that those students make up. 

Increased citizenship verification for employees 

Legislators also introduced a slew of bills to discourage employers from hiring immigrants and require the use of a federal system to verify the citizenship of their workers. 

SB 1211, filed by Sen. Kendal Sacchieri, R-Blanchard, would disqualify businesses that employ workers with H-1B visas from a state property tax exemption. SB 1830, authored by Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, would bar businesses employing workers with H-1B visas from getting payments through a state job creation program. 

SB 2073, introduced by Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, would ban state agencies from employing workers with H-1B visas or who are receiving practical training as part of a student visa. 

SB 1850, filed by Deevers, and HB 3725, filed by Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler, would require employers to use status verification systems like E-Verify, a U.S. Department of Homeland website, to check the eligibility of their employees to work in the country using immigration records. Deevers’ bill would also authorize the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office to create a reporting system for violations of the law.  

Federal law requires employers to complete I-9 forms for all workers, but private businesses in Oklahoma aren’t currently required to use E-Verify to compare those forms to government records. 

Crackdown on commercial motor vehicle drivers

Bergstrom filed SB 1243, which would require Service Oklahoma to cancel driver’s licenses and identification cards for anyone not lawfully present in the country. 

Other lawmakers filed legislation to crack down on commercial motor vehicle drivers who are immigrants in the wake of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Operation Guardian. Stitt announced the state initiative in November 2024 to remove people who are in Oklahoma illegally. Law enforcement officers have arrested over 100 commercial motor vehicle drivers in a series of sweeps on state highways through the initiative since then. 

HB 3563, filed by Rep. Ryan Eaves, R-Atoka, would require law enforcement officers to arrest anyone driving a commercial motor vehicle who is in the country unlawfully and transfer them to federal authorities. Vehicles would be impounded and owners would have to pay a $50,000 fee. The motor carrier that owns the vehicle would be banned from operating in Oklahoma. 

Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville, authored SB 1628, which would ban Service Oklahoma from issuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses or learner’s permits. Non-domiciled licenses are often issued to people who aren’t citizens or lawful permanent residents.

SB 1222, filed by Sacchieri, would make it a misdemeanor for people with non-domiciled driver’s licenses to operate commercial motor vehicles in Oklahoma. Sacchieri has also introduced SB 1230, which would require Service Oklahoma to verify the citizenship of all applicants for driver’s licenses or IDs. 

Access to social services and resources 

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, filed HB 4422, which would require the Oklahoma Department of Human Services to verify the immigration statuses of applicants for public assistance programs, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Oklahoma State Department of Health would verify immigration statuses for applicants for the Women, Infants and Children program. 

HB 4423 authored by Hilbert would require the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to go through a similar verification process for any benefits it administers. According to both bills, if the application is for a child, the agency would also check the immigration status of the qualified adult. If the state agencies can’t verify an applicant’s citizenship status, they must notify ICE. 

Applicants for state public benefits must already state their immigration status. Only qualified noncitizens, like lawful permanent residents and refugees, are eligible for benefits, and some must complete a five-year waiting period. Non-citizens who aren’t eligible can still secure benefits for their children who are U.S. citizens. 

Hilbert said in a press release that the bills reaffirm House leadership’s commitment to an America First agenda prioritizing eligibility checks and an efficient use of resources in taxpayer-funded assistance programs. 

“Oklahoma taxpayers should never be forced to subsidize benefits for individuals who are in our country illegally,” Hilbert said. “These services are intended for legal tax-paying citizens, and we are going to make sure that is who is receiving these benefits in Oklahoma.”

SB 1554, authored by Sen. Randy Grellner, R-Cushing, would ban nongovernmental organizations from “knowingly or recklessly” providing support to benefit any immigrant in the country illegally or any asylum seeker. Any organization that breaks the law would be permanently barred from receiving any state or local funding, and any employee who knowingly participates in or directs a violation of the law would be guilty of a felony. 

Foreign land ownership 

Legislators aim to restrict the ability of foreign nationals to own land in Oklahoma through a variety of bills.

SB 1910 by Deevers would ban nonresident aliens, and foreign governments and corporations from owning property or an interest in property in the state. Anyone buying property would have to fill out an affidavit disclosing their citizenship and any foreign financing they’re secured. 

Rep. Stacy Jo Adams, R-Duncan, authored HB 3803, which would ban businesses controlled by prohibited foreign parties, including groups designated as “of particular concern” by the U.S. Department of State, from acquiring any interest in land. Businesses would have one year to divest any land they own in violation of the law or could face a fine of up to $15,000. 

HB 3840 introduced by Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, would ban state-owned enterprises or foreign government adversaries from acquiring land within 10 miles of military facilities or critical infrastructure. The bill would authorize the Oklahoma Attorney General to investigate violations and bring civil action for injunctive relief, civil penalties or court-ordered divestiture. 

Hamilton introduced SB 1672, which would extend a ban on land acquisition to all foreign governments and remove a clause allowing the Attorney General to make exemptions as needed. 

Hamilton said in a press release that his legislation on foreign land ownership would “bolster our state laws, protect our citizens, and provide additional safeguards against those who seek to harm our nation or infiltrate our communities.” 

HB 4193 by Rep. Mark Chapman, R-Broken Arrow, would ban state-owned enterprises of foreign adversaries or federally banned corporations from bidding or submitting proposals for state and local contracts. 

Birthright citizenship

Deevers has introduced SB 2098, which would require birth certificates to indicate the citizenship of both of the child’s biological parents. If neither parent is a U.S. citizen or legal resident, no U.S. citizenship would be granted to the child. President Donald Trump has attempted to end birthright citizenship and the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case challenging the constitutional right.

Deevers said in a press release that his bill “finally puts an end to the ‘birthright’ loophole that incentivizes lawlessness.” 

Local partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

SB 2013 by Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, would require all law enforcement agencies in the state, including campus and school district police, to apply for and enter 287(g) agreements with ICE by Sept. 1.

In Oklahoma, 25 agencies currently participate in the federal 287(g) program, which gives state and local law enforcement officers the authority to carry out some immigration enforcement functions. 

Banning masking by law enforcement 

ICE officers have come under fire nationally in recent months for obscuring their identities with masks as they interact with the public. Federal officers involved in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti earlier this month were wearing masks, and the identities of the Border Patrol agents at the scene of Pretti’s shooting have not been made public. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says masking is necessary for officers to protect themselves from doxxing and harassment, while some lawmakers and community members say the agents must show their faces to increase accountability.  

SB 1234 by Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, and HB 2990 by Rep. Aletia Timmons, D-Oklahoma City, would ban law enforcement from wearing face coverings concealing their identities when performing their duties. Timmons’ bill would also require officers to visibly display information including their agency, name and badge number.