Southwest
Oklahoma schools chief bills Kamala Harris $474M for education costs, citing illegal immigration
Oklahoma’s top elected education official sent a “demand letter” to Vice President Kamala Harris that essentially served as an invoice for what the illegal immigration crisis under her tenure overseeing the border has cost Sooner State schools.
“As the statewide elected Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Oklahoma and the Executive Officer of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), it is my duty to ensure that the resources allocated to our public schools are counted for and used in the most effective manner possible for the benefit of Oklahoma students’ education,” Ryan Walters wrote to Harris.
In August, Walters tasked the department to work with school districts to calculate the financial impact borne by taxpayers on illegal immigrant minors. That analysis resulted in an estimate of $474.9 million, which he demanded of Harris in the letter.
“This demand amount is, by necessity, an estimate because only your administration knows the true number of illegal immigrants crossing this nation’s borders and the actual costs of illegal immigration,” he said, calling for Harris to conduct a potentially more accurate accounting of the costs incurred by Oklahoma schools.
OK SCHOOLS CHIEF DEDICATES MILLIONS TO PUT ‘A BIBLE IN EVERY SCHOOL’
“Under your supervision, the costs in education due to illegal immigration have risen astronomically. Your failed oversight and efforts are a direct cause of the current crises Oklahoma and other states now face. Oklahoma taxpayers, schools, teachers, and parents should not bear the burden of your failings. They deserve better,” Walters said.
In a Tuesday interview, Walters said the border crisis is “crippling” Oklahoma schools, and that paying for these minors’ education is the “largest unfunded mandate in the country.”
He said Oklahoma has been the first state to both calculate the education costs of the border crisis and to actually bill the Biden-Harris administration for the fiscal disparity.
In August, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order directing hospitals to collect cost information in a similar fashion, for patients “not lawfully present in the United States.”
LANDMARK BILL TARGETS HIDDEN FOREIGN FUNDS IN SCHOOLS AS OFFICIALS WARN OF CCP INFLUENCE
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a rally in Houston, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
“Since she’s been the border czar, she’s failed our country,” Walters said. “Open borders has had an impact on every aspect of society, but it has overrun our schools, decimated our families. And it is absolutely time to hold them accountable for that.”
Walters said he invites other states to follow suit and calculate the real costs of illegal immigration, to show the true effects of the crisis on the country.
Harris’ office did not respond to a request for comment.
When asked if he expects a response or a remittance, Walters said the administration has long been “unresponsive to the needs of all Americans.”
A Customs and Border Protection patch is displayed on the arm of an officer on Sept. 28, 2024, in San Diego, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
“I know that they’ve magically pretended like they’ve cared about it here in the last 60 days of their campaign. But the reality is, as you’ve seen story after story, data point after data point, and they’ve ignored them,” he said.
Read the full article from Here
Los Angeles, Ca
Man found guilty of sex trafficking victim along L.A.’s Figueroa Corridor
A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
In May 2025, Shabazz was arrested and has remained in federal custody. His last known address at the time was in Washington, D.C.
On June 26, 2026, Shabazz was found guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
Los Angeles, Ca
Watch Project Angel Food's 'Lead with Love' telethon on KTLA
The star-studded feel-good giveback event of the summer has returned. KTLA 5 is teaming up once again with Project Angel Food for the annual “Lead with Love: Going the Distance” telethon to raise critical funds for medically tailored meals delivered to people living with serious illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. The seventh annual telethon airs […]
Los Angeles, Ca
Woman ambushed, violently attacked by robber in downtown Long Beach
A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
-
Cleveland, OH3 minutes agoCleveland boy, 13, dead following ATV crash in Erie County
-
Austin, TX10 minutes agoCedar Park greenlights Texas Materials HQ move with $14M incentive deal
-
Alabama13 minutes agoThe legend of Alabama’s black panthers: Why the sightings never stop
-
Alaska18 minutes agoDelmonico’s Love Letter To America: A Red, White, And Blue Baked Alaska
-
Arizona25 minutes agoWith water cuts looming in Arizona in US, locals fight data centres
-
Arkansas28 minutes agoGubernatorial challengers talk ideas as Sanders skips debate – Arkansas Times
-
California28 minutes agoCalifornia GOP delegates on LGBT issues, LA decline, Medicaid fraud | Fox News Video
-
Colorado40 minutes agoWhat’s really killing a lot of cattle in Colorado? Hint: wolves aren’t the culprit (Opinion)