OKLAHOMA CITY –Oklahoma Department of Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton announced Tuesday that every member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is now credentialed under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of the state’s expanding Operation Guardian program.
Tipton shared the update during the opening sessioni of the 2025 Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) Commanders Meeting in Oklahoma City, addressing law enforcement leaders from across the country.
Related: What is Operation Guardian?
What to know about the authorization
Tipton said roughly 750 troopers statewide are now authorized through ICE’s 287(g) agreement, allowing them to detain, question and process undocumented immigrants encountered during enforcement operations.
Tipton spoke of two large-scale enforcement efforts at Oklahoma’s ports of entry this fall. In September, troopers conducted a 30-hour enforcement detail at the western port of entry, stopping more than 500 commercial motor vehicles.
According to Tipton, 120 undocumented individuals were discovered, including 91 commercial drivers taken into custody.
A second operation in October targeted Oklahoma’s eastern border with Arkansas. In about 15 hours, troopers stopped more than 500 vehicles, arresting 73 people, including 34 commercial drivers.
Several of those arrested have prior criminal records or active felony warrants, Tipton said. He described both operations as “mass arrest events,” conducted with ICE personnel on site to process people immediately.
Tipton confirmed that additional emphasis areas are being planned across the state.
What is Operation Guardian?
Launched under Gov. Kevin Stitt in late 2024, Operation Guardian is a partnership between state and federal agencies designed to identify, detain and transfer undocumented immigrants with criminal histories from Oklahoma custody into ICE detention.
The initiative began with the state’s prison population and has expanded to include highway and port-of-entry enforcement. Under the 287(g) agreement, troopers now have federal authority to question and detain individuals suspected of being in the country illegally.
Related: Operation Guardian: Oklahoma launches plan to deport hundreds of incarcerated illegal immigrants
State officials say the effort aims to reduce taxpayer costs linked to housing undocumented inmates and improve highway safety by verifying commercial drivers’ legal status.
3 Takeaways: Agreement to be finalized for ‘Operation Guardian’ expansion
Stitt said Operation Guardian is part of a broader strategy to enforce the law and keep Oklahomans safe, saying that Oklahoma will be no haven for illegal immigrants who break the law.
