OKC Standard

Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, who serves as the Republican Conference Vice Chair, recently held a floor event in Washington, DC to advocate for the passage of the Laken Riley Act. Joining him were Senators Shelley Moore Capito from West Virginia, Deb Fischer from Nebraska, John Hoeven from North Dakota, Ted Budd from North Carolina, Joni Ernst from Iowa, Todd Young from Indiana, and Pete Ricketts also from Nebraska.

Lankford emphasized that the discussion around this legislation is not limited to Republicans in the Senate. He stated, "This is something not just Republicans in the Senate are talking about. This is something the American people spoke loud and clear about during the last election when they elected President Trump, a Republican Senate, and a Republican House."

Senator Ernst expressed her support by stating that passing this act would close existing loopholes and prioritize citizens over illegal immigrants: “We will close these loopholes so our laws no longer prioritize illegal immigrants over our own citizens.”

Capito criticized current border policies: “The radical open border policies of the left have caused untold suffering to families across the nation,” she said.

Hoeven pointed out what he sees as false claims by the Biden-Harris Administration regarding border security: “The American people saw beyond the Biden-Harris Administration’s false claims that the border was secure.”

Young added his perspective on how this issue might impact President Biden's legacy: “This self-inflicted disaster will be a major part of President Biden’s ignominious legacy.”

Budd highlighted how he believes this act will aid law enforcement efforts: “The Laken Riley Act will empower the Trump Administration to enforce our laws, keep our nation secure, and prevent tragedies.”

Ricketts provided statistics on border encounters since President Biden took office: “We’ve had ten and a half million border encounters since Biden took office,” he noted.