Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced a partnership between the state and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that led to the apprehension of more than 125 individuals living in the U.S. illegally. The joint enforcement operation, dubbed “Operation Guardian,” was conducted by ICE and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and involved enforcement efforts focused along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma, a major highway that runs through the state.
The enforcement effort targeted individuals suspected of violating immigration laws, with apprehensions involving people from countries including India, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Mauritania.
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Concerns raised over CDL credentials
Stitt also alleged that several commercial truck drivers encountered during the operation held commercial driver’s licenses, or CDLs, issued by what his office refers to as “sanctuary states.” The OHP claimed that some of the licenses had irregularities, including one listing the driver’s name as “No Name Given.”
In a statement, Stitt’s office said that individuals operating 80,000-pound commercial trucks without proper identification pose a serious public safety risk.
“If New York wants to hand out CDLs to illegal immigrants with ‘No Name Given,’ that’s on them,” Stitt said in a statement. “The moment they cross into Oklahoma, they answer to our laws.”
State policies questioned
Straight Arrow News reached out to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office for comment on Stitt’s claims but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
According to New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles website, “DMV offices are temporarily unable to accept an application for a Commercial Learner Permit (CLP) or CDL document if you are not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (i.e., temporary visitors).”
The New York Department of Motor Vehicles confirmed the license was real in a statement to the New York Post.
“This commercial driver’s license was issued in accordance with all proper procedures, including verification of the individual’s identity through federally issued documentation,” DMV spokesman Walter McLure said in the statement.
The documentation provided to the DMV to verify the driver’s identity was not specified. However, the spokesman added that the person had “lawful status” to be in the U.S. through a “federal employment authorization and was issued a license consistent with federal guidelines.”
“It is not uncommon for individuals from other countries to have only one name,” the statement added.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the construction of foreign names varies from culture to culture, and some may only have a one-word name, also known as a mononym. The mononym may be a given name (for example, Laila) or a family name (last name).
USCIS says on its website that when an immigration benefits requestor has a single name, the agency considers the single name as the family name.
“USCIS may insert No Name Given as the given name in this circumstance,” the agency says.
