Published: November 02, 2007 11:21 pm         

Local impact of immigration law still unknown

Members of Enid Hispanic Outreach Council still aren’t sure they know how the new immigration laws will impact local and area immigrants.

“The challenge with (House Bill) 1804 is how seriously it will be implemented,” Allan McCobb, executive director of United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma and a member of the council, said during the group’s monthly meeting.

The new law, implemented Thursday, bans illegal immigrants from obtaining state government identification, ends most public assistance and entitlement benefits for illegal immigrants and allows deputized state and local law enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration law.

McCobb and other members of the group wondered when they would start to see changes related to the new law.

“Families should prepare themselves if it happens,” McCobb said.

Council members expressed their concern for families of those who might find themselves on the wrong side of the law in the coming months.

Tony Garza, Hispanic outreach specialist at Community Development Support Association, passed out fliers outlining what illegal immigrants can do if they are stopped by lawmen. It outlines what immigrants must do if they are pulled over by lawmen or if lawmen come to their door.

He also shared information on the issue from a Tulsa-based group that has a mission to help those in need and promotes policies to benefit low- and moderate-income Oklahomans. Information from Community Action Project was distributed that describes the law and outlines lawsuits filed seeking an injunction on the law.

Sandy Stuart, a member of a local Democratic women’s group, told members they were welcome to come present the issues to her group. Stuart said the United States traditionally has had favorable outcomes on immigration issues. She said it is her group’s hope these issues can be solved favorably, too.

“America, throughout its history, has had problems with immigration,” she said. “They have all been solved in the past.”