Lankford: Increase in Unaccompanied Illegal Minors in U.S. a Direct Result of President's Policies Encouraging Amnesty

Statement

Representative James Lankford (R-Okla.) expressed frustration today regarding reports that the Department of Homeland Security is considering the U.S. Army Installation at Fort Sill as a location to house as many as 1,200 unaccompanied illegal children, mostly from Central America by way of Mexico, per the direction of the Obama Administration.

"The recent, single-year influx of unaccompanied minors from foreign countries into the United States is a direct result of President Obama's policies of encouraging amnesty and failing to enforce existing immigration laws," said Lankford.

"The Obama Administration has put children at risk in dangerous border crossings through the desert because of the President's enticing offer of potential future citizenship. A single-year increase of 168% in one southwest region reveals the importance of immediately securing our borders and addressing executive policies that circumvent current immigration law.

"Border security must be our primary objective in any immigration reform conversation. As long as our border remains unsecured and President Obama refuses to enforce existing laws, we will not have a willing partner to fix our broken legal immigration system, prevent illegal immigration or prosecute individuals who come here illegally in the future," concluded Lankford.

Source