A joint operation by Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Interstate 40 resulted in the apprehension of over 125 undocumented immigrants in western Oklahoma, according to the governor’s office.
The operation is part of a wider deportation plan announced earlier this year by the state’s executive branch and overseen by Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton.
According to the governor, those detained are from China, Georgia, India, Mauritania, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
OHP spokesperson Sarah Stewart said the sweep occurred during the final full week of September. Additional details were expected on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The governor’s release said troopers encountered commercial truck drivers with Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) from “sanctuary states.”
These are jurisdictions where certain policies limit local law enforcement’s assistance to federal immigration authorities. A copy of a New York CDL shared with the announcement had the notation “No Name Given.”
The announcement did not specify which other states were referenced.
The governor called the effort a public-safety measure, arguing that 80,000-pound trucks were operated without verifying driver identities.
Governor Kevin Stitt sharply criticized New York and other states he says have lax documentation: “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 thanked troopers and ICE, saying, “This is about keeping Oklahomans safe.”
Presented earlier this year, Operation Guardian is described by the governor as a strengthened cooperation framework with ICE to identify, apprehend and transfer people without legal status to federal authorities, focusing on commercial carriers. OHP conducts targeted roadway checks on strategic corridors, such as I-40, a major freight route, and coordinates document verification and transfers with federal agents.
State officials justify the approach with two reasons. One is Oklahoma’s authority over highway safety and regulation of heavy-vehicle drivers. The other is what they call the need to close “gray areas” created by other jurisdictions’ “sanctuary” policies.
Information still pending
Several details remain: the share of professional truck drivers among the 125-plus apprehensions, a more complete breakdown by nationality, and the extent of OHP–ICE coordination on next steps such as identity verification, detention, and removal proceedings. Stewart said more information would be released after operational reports are consolidated.
The governor’s announcement comes as the General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a request for lease proposals to expand ICE’s office capacity in Oklahoma City.
Public documents describe move-in-ready office space for law enforcement administrative operations. Technical requirements include secured offices, server rooms, and interview areas. This development has fueled debate over ICE’s federal footprint in the state and its coordination with local authorities.
The I-40 corridor is a major logistics spine running east–west across Oklahoma. This helps explain the executive branch’s focus on commercial credentials and freight flows.
Repeated references to “sanctuary states” underscore a clash of policies between jurisdictions. Some states limit local police involvement in enforcing federal immigration law. Oklahoma emphasizes strict application of its own highway-safety and driver-identification rules.
Credit: The Oklahoman
