Operation Guardian

Operation Guardian is a 2025 Oklahoma state initiative directed by Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton to transfer illegal aliens held in state and county custody to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities for deportation proceedings.^[1] Launched amid concerns over public safety and fiscal burdens, it prioritizes individuals convicted of violent crimes such as homicides, sexual assaults, and offenses against children, with Oklahoma incurring approximately $36,000 daily to incarcerate around 525 such detainees, 72% from Mexico and others from Guatemala, Honduras, Vietnam, and additional nations.^[1] The operation expands cooperative agreements between state and local law enforcement and ICE, enabling detentions and processing of illegal aliens encountered in routine policing, particularly those released after serving sentences.^[1] A notable enforcement action occurred on September 29, 2025, when the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, in partnership with ICE, conducted a sweep along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma, apprehending more than 125 illegal immigrants originating from countries including India, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Mauritania.^[2] This effort also uncovered public safety hazards, such as commercial truck drivers operating with unverifiable or falsified licenses issued in sanctuary jurisdictions.^[2] Governor Kevin Stitt has described the initiative as a direct response to federal inaction, asserting that "these dangerous illegal aliens should not be walking on our streets, and they soon won’t be," positioning Oklahoma as a leader in addressing immigration enforcement gaps.^[1] While praised for enhancing community safety through targeted removals, Operation Guardian has drawn criticism from immigration attorneys who question state jurisdiction over federal immigration matters and label it as political rhetoric.^[3]

Background and Context

Immigration Enforcement Challenges in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has faced significant strains on its public safety and criminal justice systems due to inadequate federal immigration enforcement, compelling the state to allocate resources for detaining and processing undocumented immigrants encountered by local authorities. In 2024, state lawmakers declared a public safety crisis linked to illegal immigration through House Bill 4156, which criminalized unauthorized presence but encountered federal opposition under the prior administration, delaying enforcement until the Trump administration dismissed challenges in March 2025. This federal-state tension has overburdened Oklahoma's jails and law enforcement, with Attorney General Gentner Drummond noting in August 2025 that lax border policies strain healthcare systems, increase criminal caseloads, and divert funds from citizen priorities.^[4][5][6] Enforcement difficulties are compounded by interstate mobility of undocumented individuals using fraudulent or sanctuary-state-issued commercial driver's licenses (CDLs), enabling high-risk activities like trucking along major routes such as Interstate 40. Operations in 2025 revealed systemic vulnerabilities, including licenses from states like New Mexico issued without identity verification, allowing over 90 undocumented immigrants to operate commercial vehicles during a single sweep, posing threats to highway safety and complicating routine traffic stops. Local agencies lack specialized immigration expertise, leading to implementation hurdles for expanded roles under programs like 287(g), where Oklahoma ranks among the top states with 18 active agreements, yet small-town departments struggle with training and workload.^[7][2][8] Public safety risks are heightened by associations between illegal immigration and illicit activities, including drug trafficking corridors through Oklahoma, where fentanyl and other narcotics flow via human smugglers and networks exploiting lax enforcement. State initiatives highlight encounters with undocumented individuals from high-risk countries involved in potential transnational crime, while organized groups, such as those tied to Chinese illicit marijuana operations, have perpetrated violence like a 2024 quadruple murder in the state. Legal barriers persist, with advocacy groups challenging state measures—such as renewed lawsuits against HB 4156 in May 2025—creating uncertainty and tying up resources in court, even as detention volumes surged for non-criminal migrants in 2025.^[9][10][11]

Federal Policy Failures and State Responses

The U.S. federal government's immigration enforcement efforts under the Biden administration faced widespread criticism for failing to curb illegal border crossings, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection recording over 10.9 million nationwide encounters since Fiscal Year 2021 began, including peaks exceeding 2 million annually at the southwest land border in FY2023 and FY2024.^[12][13] Policies emphasizing parole programs, apprehension-and-release practices, and reduced interior removals—totaling far fewer deportations than under prior administrations—exacerbated the influx, straining resources and contributing to public safety risks as criminal noncitizens were often released pending hearings.^[14][15] These federal lapses directly impacted Oklahoma, where undocumented immigrants accounted for 2.3% of the state prison population in 2024, encompassing over 525 individuals incarcerated for various offenses amid broader strains on local schools, healthcare, and law enforcement from unchecked migration.^[16][17] State officials, including Attorney General Gentner Drummond, attributed heightened public safety threats—such as increased criminal activity linked to illegal entrants—to the federal government's refusal to enforce existing laws, necessitating defensive litigation against federal overreach while upholding state measures.^[18] Oklahoma's responses included enacting HB 4156 in 2024, a law criminalizing the transportation of undocumented immigrants and mirroring Texas' enforcement model to fill federal voids, alongside lawsuits from state education leaders challenging federal policies for burdening public schools with uncompensated migrant education costs exceeding $474 million.^[19][20] These efforts culminated in Operation Guardian, announced by Governor Kevin Stitt in February 2025 as a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, enabling state-local-federal sweeps targeting criminal undocumented individuals in prisons and along Interstate 40, where a September 2025 operation apprehended over 125 such migrants from countries including China, India, and Uzbekistan.^[21][22][2] Stitt explicitly cited Biden-era "border failures" as the catalyst, positioning the operation as essential state action where federal priorities faltered.^[23]

Establishment and Objectives

Announcement by Governor Stitt

On February 5, 2025, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced the rollout of Operation Guardian, a state initiative aimed at enhancing immigration enforcement by facilitating the deportation of criminal illegal aliens.^[1] The program, led by Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton, focuses on transferring illegal aliens held in state or county custody—particularly those convicted of serious offenses such as violent crimes against children, sexual assaults, and homicides—to federal custody for removal proceedings under existing immigration laws.^[1] Stitt emphasized the initiative's role in addressing perceived federal shortcomings, stating, “Former president Biden’s weak border policies allowed our country to become a safe haven for criminal illegal migrants – that ends in Oklahoma with Operation Guardian.”^[1] The announcement highlighted expanded agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to empower state and local law enforcement agencies to detain and process illegal aliens encountered during routine operations, with a priority on targeting those previously released after committing crimes.^[1] Stitt further noted the financial burden on Oklahoma taxpayers, citing approximately $36,000 daily spent to incarcerate 525 illegal aliens in state facilities, with 72% originating from Mexico, 8% from Guatemala, 7% from Honduras, 1% from Vietnam, and 12% from other nations.^[1] He expressed appreciation for federal leadership under President Trump, remarking, “I’m grateful we have a President in the White House who is taking action where the former refused to. These dangerous illegal aliens should not be walking on our streets, and they soon won’t be. Oklahoma will continue to stand for law & order.”^[1] This initial disclosure laid the groundwork for subsequent developments, including a February 15, 2025, memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which delegated ICE enforcement authority to Oklahoma state troopers, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens, thereby bolstering Operation Guardian's implementation.^[21] The agreement was framed as a collaborative effort to uphold public safety and enforce immigration laws without providing sanctuary for lawbreakers.^[21]

Core Goals and Strategies

Operation Guardian's primary goals center on enhancing public safety by removing undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes from Oklahoma's communities and correctional facilities, thereby reducing recidivism risks and alleviating the financial burden on state taxpayers. The initiative targets the deportation of over 500 incarcerated undocumented immigrants identified in state and county jails as of early 2025, prioritizing those whose presence poses ongoing threats due to prior offenses. By transferring custody of these individuals to federal authorities for removal proceedings, the operation seeks to prevent future crimes and cut housing costs, which officials estimated could save millions annually given the daily expense of detaining non-citizens. This approach stems from the recognition that federal inaction has left states bearing disproportionate enforcement loads, with Oklahoma documenting hundreds of criminal cases involving undocumented entrants from countries including Mexico, India, and China.^[1][24] Strategically, the operation relies on formalized partnerships, including a memorandum of agreement between the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to streamline detainers and custody handovers under existing federal law, such as 8 U.S.C. § 1324 for harboring or aiding illegal entry. Implementation involves multi-agency coordination: DPS and local law enforcement screen inmates for immigration status using federal databases, while Oklahoma Highway Patrol conducts targeted sweeps in high-risk areas like Interstate 40 corridors frequented by commercial trucking operations. These sweeps focus on verifying commercial driver's licenses (CDLs), which have revealed systemic fraud where undocumented individuals obtain licenses from lax neighboring states, enabling operations of hazardous vehicles without proper vetting. For instance, a September 2025 sweep apprehended over 125 individuals, including 90 truck drivers, many with unverifiable credentials from states like Texas and Arkansas, disrupting potential smuggling networks and unsafe transport.^[21][25][2] Broader tactics emphasize proactive enforcement beyond prisons, such as intelligence-driven operations to identify and detain undocumented workers in industries like trucking, where public safety risks from unqualified drivers are acute. Officials, including DPS Director Tim Tipton, have highlighted how these strategies address root causes like porous borders and inadequate federal screening, without expending state resources on non-criminal cases initially. While some reports note a focus on nonviolent offenders to maximize efficiency, the core emphasis remains on criminal removals to deter illegal entry and reoffending, with expansions planned based on federal cooperation levels under varying administrations. This state-led model contrasts with prior reliance on passive federal detainers, aiming for measurable reductions in crime rates linked to undocumented populations through verifiable deportations.^[26][27][28]

Operational Execution

Partnerships with ICE and Local Agencies

Operation Guardian establishes collaborative frameworks between Oklahoma state agencies and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enhance immigration enforcement capabilities within the state. In February 2025, Governor Kevin Stitt announced the finalization of three agreements with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), granting designated state law enforcement personnel authority to perform federal immigration functions, including interrogation, arrest, and detention of individuals suspected of immigration violations.^[29][30] These agreements facilitate the transfer of undocumented offenders from state and county custody directly into federal deportation proceedings, bypassing traditional delays in immigration processing.^[31] A cornerstone of these partnerships is the Section 287(g) program, which deputizes state officers as federal immigration enforcers under ICE oversight. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) participates via the 287(g) Task Force Model, allowing troopers to identify, process, and arrest individuals for civil immigration violations during routine duties such as traffic stops.^[32] This integration extends to joint operations targeting high-risk areas, exemplified by a multi-day enforcement action along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma from September 22 to 25, 2025, where OHP and ICE collaborated to apprehend 120 illegal aliens, including 91 operating commercial motor vehicles with commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) issued by states like California and New York.^[32][2] Local and county-level cooperation complements these efforts by providing custodial support and intelligence sharing. Under the agreements, county jails and sheriff's offices assist in screening inmates for immigration status, enabling rapid ICE detainers and removals for those with prior deportations or criminal histories such as DUI, human smuggling, and drug offenses.^[31][25] State agencies beyond OHP, including the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS) and potentially the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), contribute through expanded roles in verifying identities and executing warrants, though OHP remains the primary operational partner in field enforcement.^[29] These partnerships prioritize public safety by addressing vulnerabilities like unlicensed or undocumented commercial drivers, with apprehensions often revealing CDLs issued without proper verification from foreign nationals originating from countries including India, Uzbekistan, and China.^[32][2]

Major Sweeps and Tactics

Operation Guardian's tactics emphasize collaborative enforcement between the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), focusing on targeted traffic interdictions and documentation verification to identify and apprehend undocumented immigrants.^[2] These operations prioritize high-risk areas such as major interstate highways, where state troopers conduct routine and enhanced traffic stops on commercial vehicles, scrutinizing driver's licenses for authenticity and cross-referencing with federal immigration databases.^[33] The approach leverages OHP's authority over traffic safety to flag anomalies like licenses from sanctuary jurisdictions, enabling immediate ICE intervention for detention and removal proceedings.^[31] A prominent example is the September 2025 sweep along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma, announced on September 29, which yielded over 125 apprehensions of undocumented immigrants operating or traveling in commercial trucks.^[2] Participants originated from countries including India, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Mauritania, with many identified as commercial drivers posing public safety threats due to unverified credentials for handling 80,000-pound vehicles.^[33] Tactics during this action included seizing multiple unverifiable commercial driver's licenses—such as one anomalously listing "No Name Given"—issued by states like New York, followed by swift transfers to ICE custody for deportation processing.^[33][2] Beyond highway sweeps, tactics extend to correctional facilities, where state officials screen incarcerated individuals for immigration violations, prioritizing those convicted of violent crimes for expedited deportation under federal agreements.^[25] This multi-pronged strategy integrates real-time intelligence sharing between OHP, local law enforcement, and ICE to disrupt illegal activities, with ongoing operations adapting to patterns like cross-state trucking routes exploited by undocumented workers.^[31] Such methods aim to enhance deterrence without relying on broad warrants, emphasizing verifiable evidence from stops to withstand legal scrutiny.^[2]

Results and Achievements

Apprehensions and Deportations

Operation Guardian has resulted in the apprehension of over 125 illegal immigrants during a joint sweep conducted by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma from September 22 to 25, 2025.^[2][31] The operation targeted commercial truck drivers, many operating with unverifiable licenses, and included individuals from countries such as India, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Mexico.^[2][33] These apprehensions were part of an expanded enforcement effort announced by Governor Kevin Stitt, enabling direct transfer from state custody to federal deportation proceedings without release.^[31] The individuals apprehended in the I-40 sweep were immediately handed over to ICE for processing toward removal, aligning with the program's goal of expediting deportations of criminal and non-criminal illegal immigrants.^[31][34] Prior to this field operation, Operation Guardian identified approximately 525 undocumented immigrants in Oklahoma state prisons for potential transfer to ICE as of February 2025, focusing initially on those with criminal convictions.^[35] While specific deportation figures from these prison transfers remain unreported in official updates, the initiative has contributed to a broader uptick in ICE removal orders in Oklahoma, which doubled compared to the same period in 2024.^[36] Ongoing enforcement under Operation Guardian continues to prioritize rapid identification and handover to federal authorities, with state officials reporting sustained pressure on illegal immigration through such targeted actions.^[37] As of late September 2025, no comprehensive statewide tally of completed deportations directly attributable to the program has been released, reflecting the procedural timelines involved in federal removal processes.^[38]

Measurable Impacts on Public Safety

Operation Guardian has facilitated the identification and transfer to ICE custody of 525 undocumented immigrants incarcerated in Oklahoma Department of Corrections facilities, all of whom have been convicted of offenses ranging from non-violent drug crimes (27%) to violent assaults (20%), sex crimes (7%), crimes against children (30%), and homicide-related offenses (14%).^[39][40] These convictions underscore the public safety risks posed by retaining such individuals post-sentence, as their deportation prevents potential recidivism within Oklahoma.^[1] Enforcement sweeps under the operation, including a September 2025 joint action with ICE and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol along interstate routes, apprehended over 125 undocumented immigrants for immigration violations, expediting their entry into federal removal proceedings.^[2] This contributed to a marked uptick in ICE removal orders from Oklahoma, which increased by 125% in the first half of 2025 compared to the equivalent period in 2024, reflecting heightened state-federal collaboration in targeting removable aliens with criminal histories.^[36] The operation's focus on criminal offenders addresses documented threats, such as the 44% of targeted inmates convicted of violent crimes, thereby reducing the likelihood of reoffense in local communities upon release.^[40] While comprehensive longitudinal data on crime rate reductions directly attributable to these deportations remains pending given the initiative's implementation in early 2025, the systematic removal of convicted violent actors aligns with causal mechanisms for lowering recidivism-driven public safety risks.^[24]

Controversies and Criticisms

Opposition from Advocacy Groups

Immigrant rights advocates have criticized Operation Guardian for fostering an atmosphere of fear in undocumented communities and for what they perceive as redundant state intervention in federal immigration processes. Lorena Rivas, a Tulsa-based immigration attorney specializing in cases involving Latino clients, described the program as "political rhetoric" designed to appeal to anti-immigration sentiments, emphasizing that undocumented individuals in Oklahoma's correctional facilities are routinely flagged via federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers and subject to deportation proceedings without additional state initiatives.^[41] Civil liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oklahoma, have opposed related state efforts to expand local involvement in immigration enforcement, arguing that such measures violate the Supremacy Clause by usurping federal authority and inviting racial profiling. Although the ACLU's primary legal challenges have targeted laws like HB 4156—which criminalizes the transport or harboring of undocumented immigrants and was temporarily enjoined by a U.S. District Court on June 5, 2025—these suits reflect broader resistance to programs like Operation Guardian that facilitate state-federal partnerships for detentions and removals.^[42] The ACLU, which maintains a consistent advocacy stance against restrictive immigration policies often critiqued for ideological bias toward open borders, issued a travel advisory for Oklahoma in May 2024 warning of heightened risks under similar statutes.^[43] Community-based groups have also highlighted potential collateral impacts, such as workforce disruptions in sectors like commercial trucking following the September 2025 Interstate 40 sweep, which apprehended 125 undocumented drivers; advocates contend this exacerbates labor shortages without addressing root causes of unauthorized migration.^[44] These criticisms, while attributing heightened community anxiety to the operations, have not been substantiated by empirical data demonstrating widespread abuses, contrasting with documented public safety gains from apprehensions of individuals with prior criminal records.

Debates on Effectiveness and Legality

Critics of Operation Guardian, including immigration attorneys, have argued that the initiative represents political posturing rather than substantive policy, asserting that states lack jurisdiction over federal immigration enforcement and that mass deportations of incarcerated individuals may not address root causes of unauthorized migration.^[3] Supporters, including Governor Stitt's administration, counter that the operation effectively removes criminal noncitizens from state custody, with over 125 apprehensions during a September 2025 sweep along Interstate 40 involving truck drivers from countries such as India, China, and Uzbekistan, thereby enhancing public safety by prioritizing deportations of those convicted of offenses like DUI and drug trafficking.^[2][31] However, broader empirical analyses of deportation programs indicate no significant reduction in local crime rates, with studies finding negligible effects on violent or property crimes even amid increased removals, though these findings predate Operation Guardian and focus on national trends rather than state-specific criminal alien targeting.^[45][46] On legality, Operation Guardian operates through voluntary agreements with ICE to transfer undocumented inmates—identified as numbering around 525 in state prisons as of February 2025—for federal deportation proceedings, a practice aligned with existing frameworks like Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act permitting state-local cooperation.^[1][5] Related state measures, such as House Bill 4156 criminalizing "impermissible occupation," faced initial federal challenges from the Biden-era DOJ but saw lawsuits dropped in March 2025 under the subsequent administration, removing prior obstacles to enforcement.^[47][48] Civil rights organizations have renewed efforts to challenge Oklahoma's immigration statutes through litigation, claiming overreach into federal authority, but no successful injunctions against Operation Guardian itself have been reported as of October 2025.^[49] Proponents emphasize that such state initiatives fill gaps in federal enforcement without violating the Constitution, as affirmed by the dismissal of prior suits.^[5]

Broader Implications

Policy Shifts in State-Federal Cooperation

Operation Guardian exemplified a pivotal policy shift in Oklahoma's collaboration with federal immigration authorities, primarily through the adoption of Section 287(g) agreements under the Immigration and Nationality Act. On February 21, 2025, Governor Kevin Stitt announced finalized memoranda of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), delegating federal immigration enforcement authority to three key state agencies: the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN), and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).^[50] These pacts empowered trained state officers—operating under ICE supervision—to interrogate suspects regarding immigration status, issue detainers, execute arrest warrants for immigration violations, and transport individuals to federal facilities without warrants if probable cause existed for evasion of apprehension.^[50][25] This framework marked a departure from prior limitations on state involvement in federal immigration duties, expanding beyond initial prison screening initiatives to statewide operations, including highway patrols and task force integrations. Previously focused on identifying undocumented individuals in correctional facilities, Operation Guardian's scope broadened in early 2025 to encompass proactive field enforcement, such as the September 22–25, 2025, Interstate 40 sweep conducted jointly by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (a DPS division) and ICE, which yielded over 125 apprehensions.^[25][2] The agreements required state personnel to undergo federal training, ensuring alignment with ICE protocols while leveraging local resources to address federal enforcement gaps, thereby enhancing operational efficiency in identifying and removing criminal noncitizens.^[50][51] The initiative positioned Oklahoma among the earliest states to fully embed multiple agencies into the 287(g) program post-2024 federal policy realignments, fostering a model of devolved authority that incentivized state-federal synergy over jurisdictional silos. By granting state officers quasi-federal powers, the policy mitigated delays in immigration processing attributable to interagency handoffs, as evidenced by integrated task force participation that bypassed traditional barriers to local-federal coordination.^[25][8] This shift underscored a causal emphasis on state empowerment to fulfill federal mandates, contrasting with sanctuary jurisdictions' resistance and potentially influencing analogous frameworks in other non-sanctuary states seeking to amplify interior enforcement.^[50]

Long-Term Effects on Immigration Enforcement

Operation Guardian's implementation of a 287(g) agreement with ICE in early 2025 has institutionalized state-level immigration enforcement authority, allowing Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers and port-of-entry personnel to interrogate, detain, and transport suspected undocumented individuals as federal deputies.^[25] This delegation enables ongoing, routine screening of individuals in state custody, particularly the approximately 525 undocumented immigrants housed in Oklahoma prisons as of late 2024, who account for daily incarceration costs exceeding $36,000.^{[31] [19]} The operation's framework supports sustained deportations through expanded detention agreements and programs like Rapid REPAT, facilitating swift removals without prolonged federal processing delays.^[31] By targeting criminal offenders—among whom 30% have committed violent crimes against children, 20% assaults, 14% homicides, and 7% sex offenses—the initiative aims to reduce recidivism and state resource burdens over time, as deportations prevent reoffending within Oklahoma borders.^[31] Complementing state legislation such as House Bill 4156, which criminalizes undocumented presence, Operation Guardian fosters a comprehensive enforcement ecosystem that integrates local policing with federal priorities, potentially deterring illegal entry or transit through Oklahoma by signaling heightened risks of detection and removal.^[52] The September 2025 Interstate 40 sweep, apprehending over 125 individuals from nations including China, Russia, and Mauritania, exemplifies scalable tactics that could normalize multi-agency operations, enhancing overall enforcement efficiency and state-federal coordination nationwide.^[2]