Oklahoma Republican Party Ends ‘All Support’ for Sen. James Lankford over Senate Deal to Expand Immigration

UNITED STATES - JANUARY 23: Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., is seen in the U.S. Capitol duri
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

The Oklahoma Republican Party is ceasing “all support” for Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) as he leads negotiations with other Republicans and Democrats for a Senate deal that would expand illegal and legal immigration to the United States.

As Breitbart News has detailed, Lankford is negotiating the deal alongside other Republicans such as Thom Tillis (R-NC) and John Thune (R-SD) with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and others.

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The deal would expand legal immigration levels by 50,000 green cards annually even as the U.S. already admits about a million legal immigrants a year with the nation’s foreign-born population set to surpass 50 million this year — the first time in American history.

Likewise, the deal would allow up to 35,000 illegal aliens to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border every week before requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to impose border controls. Also in the deal, illegal aliens would get expedited work permits to take American jobs and Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) would be provided taxpayer-funded lawyers.

Security forces take measures as hundreds of migrants cross the Rio Grande River to reach the United States seeking humanitarian asylum in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on December 28, 2023. In recent days, thousands of people have irregularly crossed the border at various points before immigration laws in the United States became stricter. (Photo by David Peinado/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Security forces take measures as hundreds of migrants cross the Rio Grande River to reach the United States in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on December 28, 2023. (David Peinado/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Late last week, members of the Oklahoma Republican Party [OKGOP] State Committee adopted a resolution to condemn and censure Lankford for his work on the deal.

“Be it resolved that the OKGOP strongly condemns Senator James Lankford, if and to the extent that he continues these actions, and calls upon him to cease and desist jeopardizing the security and liberty of the people of Oklahoma and of these United States,” the resolution reads:

Be it resolved that until Senator Lankford ceases from these actions, the Oklahoma Republican Party will cease all support for him. [Emphasis added]

The OKGOP members make it clear in their resolution that the party’s platform supports “limited legal immigration” to the U.S. that cuts existing annual admissions “to prevent an adverse effect on our national security, wages, housing, environment, medical care, or schools.”

mexican border

Migrants take part in a caravan towards the border with the United States in Arriaga community, Chiapas State, Mexico, on January 8, 2024. (STRINGER/AFP)

“We oppose a ‘path to citizenship’ that would grant citizenship to illegal aliens,” the OKGOP members noted, adding that “authorizing several thousand people to invade our borders before any action can be taken is contrary to the oath that Senator Lankford took to the Constitution and therefore outside of the area that he is authorized to negotiate on.”

While Republicans condemn the deal, President Joe Biden has announced his endorsement.

“For everyone who is demanding tougher border control, this is the way to do it. If you’re serious about the border crisis, pass a bipartisan bill and I will sign it,” Biden wrote in a statement.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here

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