In a significant operation to make our roads safer, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and ICE have arrested 70 illegal aliens in a two-day sweep, including 34 truckers with CDLs from sanctuary states like California, Illinois, and New York, who lack legal status or English proficiency. The arrests are targeted to keep American motorists safe by keeping truckers who shouldn’t be on the roads off of them.
Describing the operation’s importance to American motorists in a statement, ICE’s Marcos Charles warned of risks from unqualified drivers of 80,000-pound vehicles. An earlier enforcement operation resulted in the arrest of 120 aliens, 91 truckers mostly from India, China, and Uzbekistan.
Reacting to this brave raid, Governor Stitt praised “Operation Guardian” for enforcing immigration and language standards. Echoing these comments, American Truckers United lauded Oklahoma’s leadership with the 2025 Secure Roads Act, urging other states to follow Texas’s lead in prioritizing highway safety.
Summarizing the events, Marcos Charles, the ICE ERO Executive Associate Director, issued a statement describing the huge operation and its successes. “For the second time in just the past month, the state of Oklahoma and ICE have banded together to bolster public safety along Oklahoma’s highways, identifying and apprehending illegal aliens who are in the country illegally,” the ICE official said.
Building on this point, he noted how these illegals “have been recklessly issued a commercial driver’s license by states like California, Illinois, and New Jersey. Many of the illegal aliens arrested behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer can’t even read basic English, endangering everyone they encounter on the roads.”
Offering another vital insight, the ICE Deputy Director of the earlier October operation, Madison Sheahan, explained the legal framework for these raids. She noted, “ICE’s 287(g) program clearly demonstrates how federal and local law enforcement agencies can work together to make America safe again.”
Emphasizing the dire stakes, she explored the complexity and potential danger involved with trucking. “Illegal aliens have no business operating 18 wheelers on America’s highways. Our roads are now safer with these illegal aliens no longer behind the wheel. We encourage more state and local law enforcement to sign 287(g) agreements to help remove public safety threats and receive reimbursement funds available to our law enforcement partners,” Sheahan declared.
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Likewise, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt expressed his approval of the enforcement measures in a statement, “Operation Guardian continues to successfully keep Oklahomans safe. To lawfully operate a commercial motor vehicle in Oklahoma, you must be here legally, and you must be able to understand English. These are common-sense standards that we will continue to enforce,” the reasonable Republican said.
Offering another inducement, Shannon Everett, a spokesman for American Truckers United, thanked the state for its active enforcement. He said, “Oklahoma excels in CMV enforcement against illegal aliens at the wheel. Leaders like Governor Stitt, Senator Sacchieri, Representative Wilk, and Commissioner Tipton are committed to Oklahoma and highway safety.”
Building on this point, he said, “Through the Secure Roads and Safe Trucking Act of 2025, they’re increasing busts on unqualified drivers, mandating language standards, and collaborating with ICE. They have laid the foundation for other states to follow. Further proof you don’t have to wait for heroes—You can act! Draft, enforce, and secure America’s highways today.”
Watch Trump DOT Secretary Duffy comment on the important English language rules here: