OKLAHOMA CITY (May 6, 2026) - Governor Kevin Stitt today signed an executive order directing state agencies to ramp up enforcement of immigration-status verification for welfare and help ensure that illegal immigrants do not receive taxpayer-funded welfare in Oklahoma.
“Welfare should go to eligible Oklahomans, not to people who are in this country illegally,” said Governor Stitt. “This order makes clear that our agencies must verify eligibility to protect the public’s hard-earned tax dollars.”
The Executive Order directs the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to utilize the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to verify the legal status of applicants for programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicaid.
Governor Stitt praised House Speaker Kyle Hilbert for working on HB 4422 and HB 4423, the SECURE Act measures that helped drive the effort to keep illegal immigrants from accessing public benefits and to strengthen verification standards across Oklahoma agencies.
“The surest way to protect Oklahoma taxpayers is to pass legislation and get it signed into law,” said Governor Stitt.
The executive order is an immediate step to enforce the will of the voters and to support the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement priorities.
The executive order can be found here.
###
