Proposed immigrant legislation penalizes and wrongly criminalizes the undocumented community
Leer in español: Los legisladores deben ofrecer soluciones para todos, no criminalizar a la comunidad indocumentada
Like many migrants, I arrived in Oklahoma at the age of 15 with nothing, and for nearly two decades I have called Oklahoma City home. I have seen it grow, and I have grown with it, and although (proposed) laws like House Bill 4156 have often made me feel unwelcome, I know that Oklahoma has much to offer and has shown that it can provide support and a warm welcome in abundance.
The HB 4156 bill poses a serious risk to our people. The proposed bill represents a desperate attempt by lawmakers who insist on legislating against the migrant community of the state for the sole purpose of gaining political points during the election season.
However, I have witnessed how this state has welcomed people affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, responded to natural disasters that leave scars on our communities every tornado season, and welcomed refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan with open arms. I firmly believe that Oklahoma can and should do the same for the migrant community, regardless of their immigration status.
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The reality is that this bill continues to penalize and wrongly criminalize the undocumented community. Not only does it erase the humanity of our people, but it also wrongly insinuates that undocumented individuals are in that situation by their own choice, and not due to the monumental failure to pass immigration reform in almost four decades. This law ignores the economic and cultural contributions that the migrant community has made to the state. Despite representing only 2% of the state's population, we contribute over $90 million in taxes to the state and almost $110 million to the federal government. Our economic and cultural contributions make us indispensable to the state.
If we truly want the well-being of the community in Oklahoma, we must demand that our representatives offer us solutions. We need them to lead the creation of solutions for access to health care, a living wage and quality housing, which are the real needs that our communities need answers to.
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Lawmakers cannot continue to blame our undocumented community for their lack of leadership. It is time to end racist and unfounded laws. The HB 4156 bill has no place in Oklahoma.
The immigrant community will continue to be a pillar of this state, and we will continue to raise our voices and demand the power we deserve. For an Oklahoma that works for everyone!
Cynthia Garcia is a queer community organizer and DACA recipient who has made Oklahoma City home for almost two decades.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Proposed legislation penalizes undocumented communities in Oklahoma
