Immigration: No Way Out

This film was originally broadcast on Al Jazeera English in the run-up to the US elections in 2008.

The Hispanic community of Tulsa, Oklahoma makes up more than one-fifth of the city’s population. These numbers have allegedly allowed illegal immigrants to blend in more easily.

In 2007, the state of Oklahoma passed one of the country’s toughest laws on immigration. The law, known as HB 1804, punishes anyone who hires or transports “illegal” immigrants.

The law has forced many undocumented immigrants into the shadows. Families without proper documentation are scared to take their children to hospital when they are sick, and it is much harder for them to find work.

Immigration has been a key issue in the presidential elections for the past decade and voters are paying careful attention to what presidential candidates are saying about immigration reform.

We the People travels to Tulsa and explores how immigration policy has changed the face of this community.