Oklahoma Republican candidate for governor Jake Merrick is promising to curb the state’s use of H-1B visas for migrants seeking American jobs.

His promise highlights the rising concern among middle-class voters that they and their children are being sidelined by local use of the federal government’s various visa-worker programs.

Merrick is pledging to support Donald Trump’s immigration policy and to oppose doling out more H-1B work visas for migrants who are hoping to take jobs from Oklahomans.

In his “Statement on Immigration and Protecting Oklahoma Workers,” Merrick said, “As the next Governor of Oklahoma, I will always put Oklahoma families and American workers first.”

“I believe every single person who entered our country illegally should be deported. Immigration is fundamentally a federal issue, and when President Trump begins mass deportations, Oklahoma will stand ready to assist every step of the way,” he continued, adding that he also supports taking away commercial truck driver licenses from non-citizens and allowing local law enforcement agencies to work with federal immigration officers.

He also fully opposes the glut of H-1B visas to foreigners who are taking jobs from Oklahoma citizens.

“We will also defend Oklahoma jobs. H-1B and OPT visas may remain an option, but only when it is clearly demonstrated that no qualified Americans or Oklahomans are available to fill those positions,” he wrote.

“I will stop state agencies and universities from using these programs to replace our own Oklahoma graduates and American workers. I will ban state contracts from going to companies that import cheaper foreign labor instead of hiring Oklahomans,” Merrick wrote. “Our tax dollars must serve Oklahomans — not replace them. Period.”

“This is not weakness — this is putting Oklahoma and America first,” he concluded.

Oklahoma is one of the few states working directly with the Trump administration to eliminate commercial truck driver’s (CDL) licenses for non-resident aliens.

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