Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is making his voice heard as the Senate debates President Donald Trump's immigration agenda.
Graham has become a proponent of cracking down on cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
While appearing at a bill signing this week in the Oval Office, Graham made his case directly to Trump.
"I've got a better idea — it's your idea," Graham said, pointing at the president. "End sanctuary cities."
Last week, Graham put a hold on votes that would fund the government, threatening to derail the compromise with Democrats.
He released the hold after an agreement was made to hold a floor vote on outlawing sanctuary cities — those that limit their cooperation with federal authorities regarding detaining or reporting illegal aliens.
"We're going to have a vote on the United States Senate in two weeks as to whether or not we should criminalize the act of local and state officials who willfully disobey laws on the books because it's good politics for them," Graham said on the Senate floor.
"What conduct am I talking about? State and local officials openly defying federal law that's been on the books for decades, incentivizing more illegal immigration, massive taxpayer rip-off, and break[ing] of law and order," he added.
Graham also blasted his fellow Republicans for not doing enough to hold protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement accountable for harassing agents and interfering in their operations.
"These people are patriotic. They're away from home," Graham said.
"These crowds that follow them to their hotel, they intimidate their families," Graham added.
"The people pushing this are nuts. They're not normal."
Graham's Republican colleagues told Politico that the South Carolina senator likes to be the center of attention.
"Lindsey is Lindsey," one Republican lawmaker told Politico, saying Graham wants to show "how close he is to the president."
Graham has shifted from being one of the senators involved in bipartisan immigration talks during the Obama administration to being in favor of the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies.
"On immigration, I know what I'm talking about. I've got the scars to prove it," Graham said to Politico.
Some of Graham's fellow Republicans believe he has altered his positions to avoid losing a primary in a red state.
"People change their mind," Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Politico. "He'd have to tell you why."
Norman had considered challenging Graham in the GOP primary before deciding to run for governor this year.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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