Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, recently criticized the Trump administration’s immigration approach during a segment on CNN’s “State of the Union,” stating President Trump is “getting bad advice.” Stitt argued there is “broad agreement” that the president should “close the border” and remove “violent criminals” from the country but emphasized Americans are questioning the endgame.
“Americans are asking themselves, ‘What is the solution?’ And we believe in federalism and state rights,” Stitt said. He added that deporting every non-U.S. citizen is not what Americans want, stressing the need to stop politicizing immigration and pursue “real solutions” like granting states authority over workforce permits.
The governor also addressed recent incidents involving federal immigration agents, noting that a Customs and Border Protection officer fatally shot a 37-year-old U.S. citizen in Minnesota while another similar incident occurred weeks earlier. Stitt linked the events to growing tensions, stating: “We need to calm this down.”
Vermont Governor Phil Scott condemned the shootings as “not acceptable,” labeling federal immigration operations a “complete failure” of coordination or “deliberate federal intimidation.” Meanwhile, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., suggested President Trump redirect resources from cities where local leaders face risks, implying such deployments could trigger public backlash.
Stitt, chair of the National Governors Association, proposed charging employers $5,000 for hiring noncitizens to incentivize American labor and reduce national debt—a plan he halted after facing significant backlash. He reiterated that federal immigration efforts must address “real solutions” rather than escalating tensions.