Are Oklahoma lawmakers considering a bill that would ban churches and charities from providing food, shelter, or clothing to unauthorized immigrants or asylum seekers?

SB 1554 would have prohibited nongovernmental organizations from providing support to unauthorized immigrants and asylum seekers, including transportation, legal services, medical care, and financial assistance. The bill did not make it out of committee.

Organizations providing immigrants with any aid that “facilitates [their] presence” in Oklahoma would have been permanently ineligible for any state or local funding, and their relevant participating agents would have been guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment lasting between one and five years, and/or a fine of up to $50,000.

Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, unauthorized immigrants, as well as some lawful immigrants, are ineligible for most federal benefits–the number of programs restricted as federal benefits increased by 42 percent in 2025.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development recently proposed a rule that would limit public housing to citizens and eligible noncitizens, following a Department of Justice opinion that HUD benefit-eligible noncitizens must now additionally satisfy PWORA eligibility requirements.