Sen. Lankford: Biden policies direct border agents to act as 'hotel check-in staff' for migrants

Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford said that the Biden Administration's border policies are directing immigration law enforcement officials to act as "hotel check-in staff" rather than prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country.

"Literally, across the street from this Capitol building is Union Station where just this week, a person illegally present in the country, painted swastikas all over Union Station but ICE didn't deport him because D.C. is a sanctuary city and they weren't getting turned over. We have a serious problem with just basic law enforcement in this country," Lankford said during a GOP caucus press conference on the rise of crime in the U.S.

"Right now this administration is trying to handcuff law enforcement and release criminals. We're doing exactly the wrong thing time after time after time. Individuals that are illegally across our southern border are being released in the country and federal law enforcement officials are being treated as if they're hotel check-in staff rather than federal law enforcement and told just to wave people through," he added.

Lankford, a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said U.S. government officials under Biden aren't obtaining the criminal history of migrants from their countries of origin before allowing them to be released into the interior of the U.S.

"We literally have no idea if they have a criminal history from where they just came from. We're tracking it once they have a criminal history here but the enforcement is almost none," he said. "And the message now is if you illegally cross our southern border, when you're waved in, you're given your first hearing in 6 years, literally being told you can say illegally present in the country for the next 6 years. And by the way, if you don't show up for that hearing, they're already getting the message that we're not going to pursue you either."

Some Republican senators at the news conference said the elimination of cash bail for certain offenses and sentencing reform is leading to a rise in crime in cities across the country. Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz pointed out that 12 major cities with high crime rates are run by Democratic mayors. 

Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy, a member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, said local leaders, such as mayors, share much of the blame for the rising crime rate in major cities and towns.

"We have many leaders in our communities today who believe deep down that if a criminal commits a crime, it's really not the criminals fault; it's the fault of an unfair world and many of these same people believe that punishment, prisons and cops, make it worse," Kennedy said.

"And I do not believe that any free society can order a civilized culture without accepting the concept of free will and responsibility. And until our public leaders in many of our communities give up their motto of, 'See no evil, hear no evil and prosecute no evil,' we're not going to see an improvement. Final point. I think President Biden has tolerated a lot of this," he added.

Kennedy called on Biden to speak out about the rise of crime happening across the U.S.

"His silence indicates that he's -- at least the administration -- is more interested in Super Bowl guacamole than the crime rate. And the only way it seems to me that in America we're going to address this problem is from the top down; bottom up works too, but President Biden needs to address this issue and and the change in the leadership of some of our public officials."

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