The author of the state's immigration bill said Wednesday he will file legislation seeking to make English the official language in Oklahoma and to give law officers the right to seize assets, such as a vehicle or a home, when used to transport or house illegal immigrants.

Rep. Randy Terrill said the measure, which he dubbed "son of 1804 bill” in reference to his House Bill 1804 that won overwhelming approval in both chambers of the Legislature this year, also would require school districts to provide a more accurate accounting of how many children who are here illegally attend their schools.

Estimates are children who are here illegally cost the state's schools about $160 million a year, he said. He thinks the cost is much higher.

Charging ahead

Terrill, R-Moore, said he wants to crack down on so-called anchor babies, children whose mothers come to the United States to give birth. The U.S. Constitution states children born in this country are U.S. citizens.

About 30 states have passed legislation making English the official language, and the timing is right in Oklahoma, he said.

"That is some unfinished business that we need to take care of here with regard to an overall real meaningful immigration reform package,” Terrill said as he announced his ideas to members of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee.

"You have my commitment on this,” Terrill said. "I'm never going to give up on this issue. We're going to continue to charge ahead.”

His idea to deal with babies born to illegal immigrants would be for Oklahoma to refuse to issue a birth certificate, he said. Instead, the state would send an acknowledgement of birth to the U.S. embassy or consulate of the parents' nation of origin requesting a birth certificate.

"That would set up the legal challenge because you would have unlawfully present, foreign national parents who would be suing the state of Oklahoma to try to get a birth certificate for a child who they would be claiming is a U.S. citizen,” he said.

Law enforcement changes

Terrill's legislation also calls for providing financial incentives to local police and sheriff departments to send officers to get federal training on immigration issues, he said. Tulsa County is the only county in the state that has a partnership with the U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement to track the immigration status of people arrested for crimes.

That office "is the model for how our other state and local law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma ought to be enforcing federal immigration law,” he said.

Terrill said he has received calls from legislators in about 12 states interested in writing similar legislation to HB 1804, which makes it criminal to transport, hire, harbor, house or conceal illegal immigrants. It also requires local law enforcement agencies to check immigration status. The law, which went into effect last week, effectively ends state-sponsored benefits for those who cannot prove they are legally in the United States.

He predicted as many as 30 states will consider similar legislation during the next few months.

Terrill said he also wants to introduce legislation to reverse a policy that allows illegal immigrant mothers to receive state and federally subsidized prenatal care in Oklahoma.

"I'm a conservative pro-life Republican, I believe that life begins in conceptions,” Terrill said. "And I believe that there are certain basic human rights that come in with personhood, the biggest one being the protection of your right to life. But that is a much different concept than being a legal U.S. citizen.”