Lankford, Johnson, Colleagues Push Biden to Enforce Legal Asylum Process

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK), lead Republican on the Border Management Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, joined Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) and 29 Senators to introduce a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to dissolve a proposed Biden Administration rule that would illegally upend the process by which the US government grants asylum claims to migrants.

“The Biden Administration’s policies have led to a completely wide open border and have made every state a border state,” said Lankford. “With the numbers of migrants coming across the border at a 20-year high, the Biden Administration has no intention of protecting our southern border. This is unacceptable. I will continue to demand the Administration secures the border and follows US law.”

“The Biden administration is sending a clear message: our borders are open, you will not be kept in custody, and you will not have to see a judge to stay here. In a time where we surpassed 2 million illegal crossings at the southern border last year and are on track for even more this year, the proposed rule will only lead to more illegal migration for an already overwhelmed immigration system. We strongly oppose the Biden Administration’s reckless attempt to unconstitutionally rewrite the asylum laws in America. The changes the administration is proposing cannot come from unelected bureaucrats, but rather from Congress. I thank my colleagues for joining in this effort,” said Johnson.    

Lankford sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on his concerns about efforts to re-implement the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers. Lankford has repeatedly asked for information and raised significant questions about whether DHS is following the District Court’s order to resume the program in “good faith.” Lankford is leading the charge to push back on the Biden Administration’s plans to revoke temporary, pandemic-related Title 42 authority as early as May 23 and to stop the ongoing chaos at the southern border amid Biden’s hypocrisy about COVID. After the highest year on record for illegal crossings this past year and 221,000 encounters of border crossers last month, Lankford introduced the Public Health and Border Security Act to require all COVID-19 related national states of emergency to be lifted before Title 42 is officially terminated until a workable plan to replace it is put in place.

Lankford and Johnson were joined in introducing the resolution by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

 ###