OKLAHOMA CITY -- A state Department of Human Services worker says he was punished for trying to report illegal immigrants who were applying for state benefits. Steve Thomas told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee he tried to follow a rule requiring memos be written to DHS superiors when they come across an applicant who's an illegal immigrant. Thomas says he was taken before DHS' civil rights office and accused of threatening illegal immigrants. His testimony came at the request of Representative Randy Terrill who wants the committee to study illegal immigration in Oklahoma.
But Oklahoma Catholic Charities attorney Shirley Cox says Thomas sounds like a disgruntled employee. Cox says the issue should be addressed at the federal -- not state -- level.