Republican who backed bipartisan border bill warns of 'loopholes' despite record-low border encounters

Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) reaffirmed his belief that the bipartisan border bill was essential for securing the U.S.-Mexico border, even as President Donald Trump’s executive actions have driven illegal border crossings to historic lows.

In February 2025, U.S. Border Patrol reported just 8,326 migrant apprehensions—marking the lowest monthly total in at least 25 years—down from 189,913 in February 2024.

“Same law, same opportunities—just a vastly different application,” Lankford told Fox News Digital. “We had a day last week where fewer than 200 people attempted to cross illegally. A year and a half ago, that number was 12,000 per day. That’s a dramatic shift.”

Lankford attributed the steep decline in border crossings to Trump’s policies and rhetoric. However, he argued that had the bipartisan border bill been enacted under President Joe Biden, the Trump administration wouldn’t need to “play catch-up” to fix past failures.

“We had an additional million people enter the country in 2024 who wouldn’t have been here had we passed that bill,” he said.

Lankford, a leading Republican advocate for the legislation, explained that the bill would have compelled the Biden administration to use its legal authority while also introducing new mechanisms to enhance border security. Despite record-low crossings, he maintained that securing the border requires legislative action to ensure long-term stability.

“There are still gaps in the law. There are still loopholes,” Lankford warned. “In two or three years, the cartels will test and probe those weaknesses. We saw this during Trump’s first term—numbers were low at first, but by 2019, nearly a million people crossed illegally because the cartels kept testing for vulnerabilities. That challenge will come again.”

Lankford emphasized that while Trump’s enforcement of existing laws is a crucial first step, legislative action is needed to eliminate legal loopholes and ensure lasting border security.

“President Trump will be in office for four years, but we don’t know who the president will be in five years. If we don’t fix the law now, we’ll be dealing with this problem all over again,” he said. “Electing someone for four years isn’t enough—we need permanent fixes.”

Lankford has been a long-time proponent of border security measures. As a congressman, he supported the 2014 Secure the Southwest Border Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provided funding to the Department of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to address the border crisis.

As a senator, he played a key role in negotiating the 2024 bipartisan border bill alongside Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). The bill aimed to curb illegal immigration by implementing a quota system, tightening asylum procedures, increasing border patrol staffing, and creating legal pathways for migrant spouses of U.S. citizens and "documented dreamers."

Despite Lankford’s advocacy, Senate Republicans ultimately blocked the bill, aligning with Trump, who argued it did not go far enough to secure the border and would have handed Biden and the Democrats a political win on immigration. Lankford’s support for the bill led to his censure by the Oklahoma Republican Party, which criticized his cooperation with Democrats.

The legislation became a contentious issue during the 2024 presidential election. Democrats blamed Trump and Republicans for obstructing reforms that could have strengthened border security, while Republicans pointed to Biden’s policies as the root cause of the migrant surge.

A recent Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) report found that the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. had surpassed 18 million by the end of Biden’s presidency, marking a 4.1 million (18.2%) increase since December 2020.

Trump, who made border security a cornerstone of his campaign, signed a series of executive orders on his first day back in office, including declaring a national emergency at the southern border.

According to Fox News Voter Analysis, immigration and the economy were the top concerns for voters in 2024. Nearly half (47%) supported deporting illegal immigrants rather than allowing them to seek legal status, while 68% favored reducing asylum claims at the border.

While Lankford remains steadfast in his push for legislative border reform, Trump’s enforcement-driven approach has already reshaped the landscape, setting the stage for ongoing political and policy battles over the future of immigration in the U.S.

This article was reported by journalist Jimmy.