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Governor Brad Henry signed the controversial Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007, known as one of the strictest illegal immigration laws in the country, into law on May 7, 2007.
The bill eliminates illegal aliens' ability to get official government identification cards, such as a driver's license or occupational license. It also prevents illegal aliens from obtaining public benefits or assistance other than what is required by federal law, such as education and emergency medical care, according to the John Birch Society Web site.
A visit to the Employment Services office in the Lillard Administration Building revealed that UCO employees hired after Nov. 1 must be e-verified through a database provided by the United States government. International students must have a valid I-9 form to be hired.
The law, according to the office, does not affect current UCO employees.
Critics of Bill 1804 call it mean-spirited and discriminatory, according to an article on the Web site of Tulsa's The News on 6. A key point of controversy was allowing undocumented students to pay the discounted rate of "in state" tuition. The bill's author said it didn't make sense because the students couldn't legally work if they graduated.
"For every one of those college scholarships we award to an illegal alien, that's a U.S. citizen, an Oklahoman, who will not be getting that financial aid," Rep. Randy Terrill of Moore said in the article.
Phredd Evans, history and social studies education major, supports the law, viewing it as a conclusion reached by Oklahomans based on the general consensus of right and wrong.
"We live in a democratic society where people vote and it is the responsibility of the legislative body to follow through with the majority vote," he said.
"I don't think it was the intent of the people of Oklahoma to put anybody in fear, however, I do believe Oklahomans came together and said, based on what's right and wrong, what should be done regarding immigration," he added.
Evans added that the intent of the law is not to be against immigration, because that would be un-American.
"But if you are here in America, we want you to be here within the legal parameters. We want to provide for your socioeconomic needs, but we will provide those within legal means," Evans said.
Dona Cherian, psychology major, disagrees with the severity of the law, and says that illegal aliens, though they are illegal, contribute to American society and should be given privileges in that right.
"How many people want to work at McDonalds, or any of the fast food restaurants, or construction work? The things that most people don't want to do, they are willing to do," she said.
She says that "even though they're illegal, their privileges shouldn't be taken away."
Cherian added that it is important to keep in mind where these people come from.
"These people can't work and be as successful where they come from, so they come to America, called the land of opportunity, and work to make a living," she said.
"They do the brunt of the work here, and yet they are discriminated against," she added.
"I am by no means condoning illegal immigration, but I don't think that people who have been here a long time should be kicked out because they didn't do anything, they're just illegally here," she said.
Cherian said her main problem is with the extremity of the law.
"There should be an immigration law, but not to that extent," she said.
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