Beto O’Rourke: Border wall ‘will ensure death’

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) said in a new interview that President Trump’s proposed wall along the southern border “will ensure death,” but stopped short of suggesting a specific alternative.

O’Rourke, who rose to national prominence with his unsuccessful bid last year to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), told The Washington Post that he believes the border is already secure, and that a wall could force migrants into more treacherous situations.

“You will ensure death,” O’Rourke said.

“You and I, as Americans, have caused the deaths of others through these walls,” he added.

{mosads}O’Rourke said he did not know what should be done to address immigration issues like overstayed visas, but instead called for an open debate on solutions.

“That’s a problem when you’re like, ‘It will be a wall,’ or ‘It will be this,’ or ‘We can only do it with this,’ ” O’Rourke told the Post. 

“The genius is we can nonviolently resolve our differences, though I won’t get to my version of perfect or I, working with you, will get to something better than what we have today.”

Liberal groups and some Democratic politicians have said they’d like to see O’Rourke run for president in 2020. The former congressman is planning a road trip to meet with Americans around the country, but has been mum about plans for a presidential campaign.

The partial government shutdown — now in its 26th day — was sparked by Trump’s demand for border wall funding.