Abandoned by his colleagues after negotiating a border compromise, GOP senator faces backlash alone

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and STEPHEN GROVES
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former youth minister in the Baptist church, Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford is known as one of the most sincere and well-liked members of the Senate. He’s a conservative who rarely votes against his party, has long championed stricter measures at the border and has been supportive of former President Donald Trump. So his colleagues’ swift and outright rejection of the border compromise he has spent weeks and months negotiating is remarkable. His colleagues’ rejection of the bill highlights the potency of the issue to Republicans and the deep divides in the GOP as Trump has made immigration a top issue.