Republican senator censured by Oklahoma GOP for negotiating with Democrats on fragile border deal

WASHINGTON − The Oklahoma Republican Party approved a resolution censuring Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and attacking the Republican lawmaker for negotiating with Democrats on a potential border deal.

The resolution, shared by Oklahoma State Sen. Dusty Deevers on X, formerly Twitter, accuses Lankford of “playing fast and loose with Democrats on our border policy." Lawmakers for months have been struggling to reach an agreement to address the challenges on America's southern border, and Lankford has been the lead GOP negotiator.

The resolution, approved Saturday, also calls on Lankford to “cease and desist jeopardizing the security and liberty” of Americans.

The immigration deal – which has not yet been finalized – would reportedly make it harder for migrants to claim asylum, make it easier for U.S. officials to deport migrants who have remained in the country illegally, expand detention capacity and add Border Patrol staff.

It also would bar additional migrants from entering the country if the system becomes overwhelmed, which Republican lawmakers said would mean a cap of 5,000 migrants a day.

Lankford, in an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” defended his role in the border negotiations.

“It is interesting: Republicans, four months ago, would not give funding for Ukraine, for Israel and for our southern border because we demanded changes in policy. So we actually locked arms together and said: ‘We’re not going to give money for this. We want a change in law.

“And now, it’s interesting: A few months later, when we’re finally getting to the end, they’re like, ‘Oh, just kidding, I actually don’t want a change in law because of presidential election year,'” he said.

The resolution comes as President Joe Biden has for months called on lawmakers to approve a spending package that would grant additional foreign aid to Ukraine – and include border measures to bring Republicans on board.

But negotiations have been thrown into confusion as Republican senators have started acknowledging any border deal's impact on former President Donald Trump's reelection bid as he remains the 2024 GOP front-runner.

Last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Trump's presence as the likely Republican nominee has changed the political environment as the former president seeks to make immigration a campaign focal point. It's not clear whether the deal is destined for the gallows as both Trump and Biden press lawmakers in Congress.

Contributing: Joey Garrison, Ken Tran and Riley Beggin

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma Senator James Lankford censured over border negotiations