James Lankford: Obama Used Military Bases to House Illegals
CHUCK TODD: And are you in favor of using military bases to house these families? It appears that D.H.S. has made a request to the Defense Department. Is that something you think is a good idea?
SENATOR JAMES LANKFORD: I do think that's a good idea, because there are locations for that. President Obama used military bases in 2014 for unaccompanied minors. Some of those were in my home state, in Oklahoma. Which, by the way, members of Congress from my state tried to visit those facilities that are in my state, where President Obama was holding those unaccompanied minors. They were turned away at the door and told that they could not come in, the same thing that's happening now. So some people try to say, "This is something new --
CHUCK TODD: Yeah
SENATOR JAMES LANKFORD: --that the Trump administration is doing, blocking people out." No, it's the exact same policy that H.H.S. had before. We made it an appointment. Then after we made it an appointment, we were allowed to be able to go in and to go through that process.
CHUCK TODD: Should that be the process? Or should there be more transparency? Or do you feel as if the White House has been fully transparent with the American public about what they're trying to do here?
SENATOR JAMES LANKFORD: I don't, actually. Now this has been one of the great frustrations. I think the White House has not been clear on how bad the Flores Settlement is. They tried to say it and say it and say it. The challenge is, you shouldn't just allow anyone to be able to come in at any time, to be able to view a spot where there are children present. I think it's entirely reasonable. This has been H.H.S.'s policy for a long time to say, "If you're going to come into a location where there's children, we need to know who you are, we need to know the background. We can't just trust if you show up with an I.D., that that's who that is. Make an appointment." If you do that, you can get in to get a chance to see them, as a member of Congress, just like I did during the time when President Obama had those children here in Oklahoma at a military base as well.
