OK: State crime of 'impermissible occupation' created for undocumented immigrants
Enacted6/10
⚖ blocked by federal injunction; Tenth Circuit appeal argued March 2026
Oklahoma · Oklahoma HB 4156 (2024) · Signed Apr 30, 2024
Impact 6/10
House Bill 4156 makes it a state crime, called impermissible occupation, to be in Oklahoma without legal immigration status, with misdemeanor penalties for a first offense and felony penalties for reentry, plus a requirement to leave the state after conviction. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law as likely preempted by federal immigration authority, and the Tenth Circuit heard the state's appeal on March 25, 2026 without yet ruling. The bill was signed April 30, 2024.
ImmigrationPolicing & justiceImmigrants
Sources
✓ Verified against primary sources 2026-08-16