Hooray for Oklahoma -where it's no longer OK for illegal aliens

Overwhelming majorities in both the Oklahoma House and Senate passed legislation that ends four problems in many states. It deals with identity theft; terminates public assistance benefits to illegals; empowers state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws; and punishes employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.

"The bottom line," said State Representative Randy Terrill, a Republican and the measure's sponsor, "is that illegal aliens will not come here if there are no jobs waiting for them, they will not stay here if there is no government subsidy, and they certainly won't stay here if they know that if they ever encounter our state and local law enforcement officers, they will be physically detained until they're deported."

Oklahoma Governor C. Brad Henry, a Democrat, signed the legislation into law, and believes it will go a long way to curb the illegal immigration problem in the state.

Terrill noted that states "are separate sovereigns in our federal system. With that sovereignty we have as much right -- in fact, I would argue, a responsibility -- to protect our taxpayers against that sort of egregious waste, fraud and abuse as the federal government does." Terrill says as long as the federal government refuses to do its job of protecting the international borders, states must take action to deal with the problem that is costing taxpayers in the state $200 million a year in public benefits, law enforcement costs, and other resources.