Senator Lankford on Border Security Bill and Immigration Reform

Bipartisan Border Security Bill

• 💡 Senator Lankford stands by the bipartisan border security and immigration reform bill, noting that most criticism stems from misinformation on social media.
• 🔑 The bill aimed to reshape the processing of individuals crossing the border by closing loopholes in the asylum system.
• 🎯 A key provision moved the asylum qualification assessment from the end of a lengthy process to the beginning, allowing for quicker determinations.
• ⚠️ The bill also included a "break glass" measure to turn everyone around if the border system is overwhelmed by cartel-driven surges, preventing the system from being exploited.

Current Border Situation and Future Outlook

• 📈 Lankford states that the number of daily illegal border crossings has dramatically reduced from 12,000 under the Biden administration to less than 200 a day.
• ⚖️ He anticipates that court rulings may limit the president's executive authority, potentially creating new loopholes that cartels could exploit, similar to what occurred during the first Trump administration.
• 💰 Cartels are losing billions in trafficking and will seek to exploit any new loopholes.
• 🤝 Lankford predicts a need for bipartisan work on immigration reform by year three, regardless of who is president.

DACA and Congressional Action

• 🗣️ He recalls President Trump's early statements about wanting to legalize DACA recipients and grant them citizenship.
• 📜 Lankford emphasizes that legalizing DACA recipients requires an act of Congress, signaling a need for negotiation and bipartisan agreement.
• 🤝 The path forward for such reforms involves both sides sitting down to work out a bill.