Judge OKs deal on Oklahoma immigration law

A third provision, which requires contractors working for public entities to use electronic employment authorization services such as E-Verify, was upheld in the judgment.

One of the provisions permanently blocked by the judgment would have allowed civil penalties for “any employer who discharges an authorized employee while retaining an unauthorized employee,” court records show.

The other would have required businesses to verify that all “individual independent contractors” had legitimate authorization statuses before hiring them.

The provisions were challenged by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other pro-business groups shortly after the anti-illegal immigration law was passed during the 2007 legislative session.

An agreement between the Chamber and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, which was filed Monday in federal court, essentially accepted a 2010 ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Pruitt said the provision forcing contractors hired by public entities to verify their employment statuses electronically went into effect Wednesday when the judgment was signed by U.S. District Judge Robin Cauthron.