Tulsa County Sheriff calls for change, says illegal immigrants are slipping through bond system

Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado spoke with Oklahoma lawmakers Tuesday about the challenges law enforcement faces in dealing with illegal immigrants who are arrested, post bail and then disappear.

Regalado says his office is struggling to find undocumented immigrants who post bail and then escape because he says federal officials are not working fast enough.

Regalado says that nearly 10 years ago, his office was able to immediately apprehend illegal immigrants who were arrested.

“Once you dealt with the state charges, whether it was dismissal, prosecution or whatever, you still couldn’t go because you had to appear in immigration court,” he said.

Regalado says for the past four years, TCSO has not been allowed to prosecute immigrant detainees, which he says has made it difficult to bring these suspects to justice.

“It has to be taken to Washington and then back again,” he said. “Well, by then the person has been cleared to get in touch, and more often than not we don’t find him again, so he doesn’t respond to local authorities.” no longer charges.”

Community leader Blanca Zavala says she hasn’t heard about the problem.

“Most of them will have a photo ID or something from their country of origin and so they will give their names,” she said.

Regalado says that because he says so many illegal immigrants refuse bonds, they should not be offered bonds in the future.

“I mean, it’s been proven time and time again, and so we have to have a mechanism to deal with these people,” he said.

He believes immigration enforcement is a federal issue, but says TCSO will intervene if necessary.

“We have a responsibility as local law enforcement to protect our citizens, and our legislators need to find a way to do that legally,” Regalado said.

Sheriff Regalado also mentioned House Bill 4156, which passed this spring but was put on hold by a federal judge, which would allow officers to arrest undocumented immigrants in Oklahoma simply for being in the country illegally.

Regalado says the bill puts too much responsibility on officers and will harm the relationships TCSO has built with the immigration community.