Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Tuesday that "amnesty is not an option," arguing that immigration outcomes should follow existing federal law unless Congress changes it.
Asked about comments from Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who said, "if you've been in this country, right or wrong, for five, 10, 15, or 20 years, your children and grandchildren are American citizens.
"People don't want to see families broken apart," Lawler said.
"And so there's got to be a legal path forward, not a path to citizenship, but a legal path forward for people to come out of the shadows so that they can work legally, that they can pay their taxes, pay any back taxes owed, pay a fine, not collect government benefits, and not commit a crime," Lawler stated.
Mullin said on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," "Mike's logically not wrong."
Mullin said that if lawmakers want a different approach, "then Congress needs to pass a law," adding, "our constituents will want to see that."
"Right now, if you start talking and polling it, 52% of Americans, regardless of the way they register to vote, say that we should deport all illegals, that's just a fact," Mullin said.
He said Congress has struggled to act on immigration because "this is a very touchy subject."
"There's a reason why we haven't passed actual immigration reform since 1959," he said.
"Amnesty is not an option," he added.
Mullin continued, "But the truth is, we're a nation of laws.
"And if we're going to restore American values, then we have to do something, and that is enforce our nation's laws.
"I'm not OK with sitting here and saying it can't be accomplished… It can be accomplished," he said.
Asked about Democrat messaging on immigration, Mullin said, "Well, listen, when they can't make a logical argument about a policy or about enforcement, they go to two things."
"They go to an emotional ploy by saying something about, you know, 'Do you think you're going to go to hell,' on whatever the question was.
"And the other card they pull is racism or racist… It's racist. It's, 'You're a Nazi," or the Gestapo, you know, 'You're a slave trader,' and it's like the logical argument can't be made" by Democrats.
Mullin said immigration enforcement reflects laws already enacted, saying "Congress passed" them and "ICE is simply doing their job.
"Nobody's arguing the fact that they are actually enforcing the nation's laws that Congress made, that Congress passed, that the president signed into law.
"No one's talking about that," he said.
"They're [ICE is] simply doing their job, but yet they [Democrats] don't like it. Why?
"Because it's political theater. That's all it is, it's nothing more," Mullin said.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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