Tulsa Hispanic/Latinx commission forms working group to produce Know Your Rights resources

The Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic Latinx Affairs Commission voted Feb. 13 to create a working group to develop Know Your Rights educational materials and protest-safety resources for Tulsa’s immigrant communities.

Commissioners and city staff said the effort responds to widespread fear and misinformation about immigration enforcement, recent local demonstrations and scams targeting immigrants. The commission plans to make materials available through community partners and to coordinate with the Tulsa Police Department and city communications staff.

“Right now there is a lot of fear in the community,” Commissioner Jackie said during the commission report, explaining the executive committee’s proposal to pursue Know Your Rights sessions and related resources and asking the full commission to authorize a working group. Jackie proposed using existing community partners such as the YWCA and local legal service providers to offer presentations and panels.

Major Mark of the Tulsa Police Department told the commission that Tulsa police are not conducting immigration-status checks during ordinary traffic stops or on municipal offenses. “The Tulsa Police Department is not stopping people to look for immigration status,” Mark said, adding that immigration checks are triggered when someone is arrested on state charges that result in county jail processing, where detention booking systems may interface with federal databases.

Commissioners and staff discussed several items the working group should address: multilingual Know Your Rights presentations and audio tools for low-literacy audiences; guidance about safe, lawful protesting and how organizers can coordinate with first responders; scams impersonating consulates or immigration authorities; and practical items that cause legal exposure (for example, when parents miss school due to fear). The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office were cited informally as sources warning about ongoing scams, and commissioners said those scams will be a key component of outreach.

City staff and commissioners identified potential partners for content and distribution: the YWCA, Casa de la Cultura, Accentro, the Human Rights Commission, the Asian Affairs Commission, voluntary legal counsel and local nonprofits such as OK Policy Institute and Together, which volunteered to brief the group on pending state bills. Carlos from city communications agreed to help with marketing and with hosting or linking resources depending on city guidelines for branded materials.

The commission voted to create the working group and named its initial members: Mimi, Jessica, Jose, Amanda, Chris, Fatima and Commissioner Jackie (who will coordinate with the executive committee). The motion passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally with individual names was recorded in the transcript.

Commissioners emphasized production choices aimed at reach and safety: short prerecorded videos and a single landing page reachable by QR code or business-card–style handouts, bilingual or audio formats for people with limited literacy, and working with trusted community outlets rather than relying solely on city-branded channels. Commissioners also discussed creating a short explainer that clarifies differences among city police, county sheriff, state highway patrol and federal immigration authorities and the practical limits of local authority.

The meeting included other related items: a reminder about an upcoming naturalization ceremony on March 13 where commissioners can volunteer, an announcement about a Red Cross home-fire-alarm installation in East Tulsa on Feb. 25 that will need volunteers, and planning for a May 8 education recognition event at the central library with about 20 nominations already received.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve minutes from a prior meeting: passed (voice vote); two commissioners reported abstaining; individual vote names not recorded in the transcript. - Motion to create a working group for educational resources on immigration, safe protest and Know Your Rights: passed (voice vote); membership named as Mimi, Jessica, Jose, Amanda, Chris, Fatima and Jackie. Movers/seconders not specified in the transcript.

What happens next Commissioners said the working group will meet to scope topics, produce content (presentations, panels and short videos) and coordinate with communications staff about hosting. The commission also expects briefings from OK Policy Institute (requested) and from community partners about what current Know Your Rights efforts already exist and where gaps remain.

Sources and attributions in this article are limited to statements recorded in the commission’s Feb. 13 meeting transcript and direct quotes from people identified in that transcript. Where the transcript did not provide a full name or title, the article uses the name as it appears in the transcript followed by the role or affiliation given there.