The conversation of immigration continues to weigh heavily on many Americans, especially following the death of a Minnesotan over the weekend who was protesting.

Eight people have been killed since the ramp up of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) going back to the beginning of the Trump Administration, which includes officers, civilians and those investigated, with an additional 32 people confirmed to have died in custody.

On one side, you have those who are passionate about the need for people to earn citizenship if they want to live in this nation, compared to those who view the laws as too rigid: unjustly preventing the opportunity to live here as a documented resident while seeking legal status, having committed no crime other than being here.

Data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University shows a significant majority of individuals in ICE detention nationally have no criminal convictions (70%). In Oklahoma, according to This Land Press in an article published in September, 1,994 people were flagged and booked across Oklahoma. At least 440 of those passed through the Tulsa County Jail, with 80% having no prior convictions, according to reporting by KOSU. Of course, there are opposing stories generated claiming those percentages are not accurate.

This effort has been aided by a federal program called “287(g) agreements,” a contract with local law enforcement agencies to assist and oftentimes provide detainment facilities with signed partnerships which allocate federal funding to the local law enforcement agency. The Tulsa Sheriff ’s office has been a part of this program since 2009, making it one of the first to participate, with dozens more departments signing up just last year.

While this program might anger many, collaboration with local law enforcement does provide personnel who have undergone much longer training with proper deescalation protocols than recently hired ICE agents receive. Many have been put into the field after only 47 days of instructional training per new guidelines.

An AP-NORC poll conducted recently revealed President Trump’s approval ratings on immigration had dropped to 38% nationally, and a Quinnipiac poll found 57% of Americans disapproved of ICE’s enforcement of immigration laws. In contrast, this also shows how many people approve of these policies. I will note that these are national polls, and I suspect that favorability is much higher in Oklahoma.

One overwhelming sentiment though is support for children. We as a nation should not place any children in cages with only a silver-colored blanket as a possession, and yes, that has been the case with both parties over the past three administrations.

I ask our elected officials of both parties and law enforcement to do better. Gov. Kevin Stitt summed it up best on Sunday by saying, “We have to stop politicizing this. We need real solutions for immigration reform.” Senator Lankford worked on an immigration policy which was cast aside. No others have shown the fortitude to continue that discussion.

I also do not want to see any more deaths. Am I angry, depressed, frustrated and disillusioned? Yes. I have peacefully participated in marches, walks and protests throughout my life, hoping it would influence policy. I never feared for my life.

Participating in peaceful protests is a constitutional right guaranteed to us no matter what side of the issue you support, as long as it remains nonviolent and does not obstruct law enforcement. But, while protesting might generate stories and make someone feel involved by bringing pressure to policymakers, the ultimate power we have as Americans is at the ballot box.

If you don’t vote because a candidate doesn’t “check all the boxes” for you, then you allow other people to choose for you who will decide policy decisions, including immigration.

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy was established in 1983 by a group of citizens seeking to create a strong advocacy network that would provide a voice for the needs of children and youth in Oklahoma, particularly those in the state’s care and those growing up amid poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, disparities or other situations that put their lives and future at risk. The OICA’s mission statement is: “Creating awareness, taking action and changing policy to improve the health, safety and well-being of Oklahoma’s children.”