Governor Kevin Stitt on Wednesday ordered state agencies to expand immigration-status verification procedures for certain public assistance programs after Senate lawmakers declined to advance key House Republican immigration proposals before legislative deadlines expired.
The executive order directs the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to increase use of the federal SAVE database system to verify applicants’ immigration status for programs including Medicaid, food assistance and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
The move follows the collapse of House Bill 4422 and House Bill 4423 in the Senate during the final stretch of the 2026 legislative session. Both measures were part of a broader House Republican immigration package branded as the SECURE Act.
Stitt framed the order as both a fiscal safeguard and part of a broader push to align Oklahoma with immigration enforcement priorities under President Donald Trump.
“Welfare should go to eligible Oklahomans, not to people who are in this country illegally,” Stitt said in a statement. “This order makes clear that our agencies must verify eligibility to protect the public’s hard-earned tax dollars.”
The order requires agencies to rely more heavily on the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database, commonly known as SAVE, which is administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Federal law already bars many undocumented immigrants from receiving most federally funded public assistance programs, though Republicans in Oklahoma and other conservative-led states have increasingly pushed for additional verification requirements and stricter enforcement procedures.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, praised the executive order after the legislation stalled in the Senate.
“I am thankful that Governor Stitt takes the issue of illegal immigration seriously and recognizes the importance of enforcing the rule of law at every level of government,” Hilbert said in a statement.
Hilbert also tied the effort to broader national Republican immigration priorities under the Trump administration.
The executive order marks the latest attempt by Oklahoma Republicans to elevate immigration enforcement as a central political issue ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
Throughout the session, House Republicans advanced multiple proposals tied to immigration enforcement, cooperation with federal authorities and public-benefits eligibility.
Several measures, however, encountered resistance in the Senate, where some lawmakers raised concerns about implementation costs, legal exposure and the practical scope of enforcement proposals.
By issuing the executive order, Stitt can move forward with parts of the policy administratively despite the legislation failing to clear the Legislature.
The order also places Oklahoma alongside other Republican-led states, including Texas and Florida, that have adopted more aggressive immigration enforcement policies in recent years.
Supporters argue expanded verification protects taxpayer resources and reinforces existing federal law. Critics contend undocumented immigrants are already largely ineligible for most public assistance programs and warn additional screening requirements could create administrative complications or discourage eligible families from applying for aid.
Neither the governor’s office nor legislative leaders provided estimates Wednesday regarding potential savings or how many applicants could be affected by the changes.
The executive order takes effect immediately.
