Lawmakers pass legislation to deport illegal aliens from state prisons

By Associated Press
11:56 AM CST, February 18, 2009

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Legislation to allow the deportation of illegal immigrants being held in state prisons has received preliminary approval.

The bill's author, Rep. Randy Terrill of Moore, says it would shift the financial burden of imprisoning illegal immigrant violators from the state to the federal government. Terrill says it will immediately save the state more than $3 million.

The bill would allow the Department of Corrections to send illegal immigrant inmates to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Only inmates incarcerated for nonviolent crimes who have served at least half their sentence would qualify.

There are 166 offenders in state prisons that would be immediately eligible for transfer.

The bill was approved Wednesday by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Judiciary and Public Safety

http://www.kfsm.com/news/sns-ap-ok-xgr- ... 6402.story