Oklahoma Senator Lankford on border security bill, humanitarian parole system and Trump
(CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Oklahoma Senator James Lankford spoke with Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan about a proposed border security bill he and fellow Republicans have been working on the past four months.
"We started in October. Everyone's looking to be able to read the bill at this point. That's the key aspect we're working on the final aspects of it to try to be able to get it out so everyone can get a chance to read it. Right now, they're all functioning off of internet rumors of what's in the bill, and many of them are false. So, people want to be able to just see it, read it, go through it, and to be able to see the dramatic change that this really makes and how we handle our immigration system and how we work to be able to secure our border completely."
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.)
During the interview, Brennan and Lankford talked about the humanitarian parole system in the United States.
"Humanitarian parole is still an issue for us, but it's been an authority that every president has had to have basic humanitarian parole...This administration has used humanitarian parole in a way no other administration has. They've said if you'll just tell us, in advance, that you're coming, come to a port of entry the first day you get here, we'll hand you a work permit and we'll release you into the country under parole. Well, that's actually attracting more people. Of course, people from around the world are gonna want an American work permit to show up. So instead of deterring immigration, they're literally incentivizing illegal immigration."
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.)
Brennan and Lankford discussed former President Trump's support of the proposed border bill. When asked if the bill can be passed without Trump's approval, Lankford said he's "looking forward" to the former president reading the bill.
When asked if Lankford if he will continue to support the former president and endorse him, Lankford said, "I actually haven't endorsed anyone on it, but he'd be a much better president than what we're dealing with right now. Definitely on national security."
