Senate Dems introduce bill to rescind Trump border wall, immigration order

Senate Democrats are moving to nix President Trump’s push to build a border wall and boost immigration enforcement. 

Twenty-four Democrats — spearheaded by Sen. Tom Carper (Del.) — are introducing legislation that would rescind Trump’s executive order on border security and “immigration enforcement improvements.”

“Spending billions of taxpayer dollars to wall off the remainder of the border is an exorbitantly expensive and an ineffective substitute for a smart, layered approach to border security,” Carper said in a statement Thursday. 

{mosads}He added that if Trump wanted to secure the border and reform immigration, “he should work with Congress and build open progress made over the past several years to improve security along our border.”

Trump signed an executive order in late January to start an “immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border.” 

The order also took a harder line on detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants, called for new detention facilities for undocumented immigrants near the southern border and backed a boost in the number of Customs and Border Protection agents. 

If passed, the legislation would retroactively have taken effect on Jan. 25, the same day Trump signed the order. 

Democrats have been critical of Trump’s immigration policies, arguing a string of high-profile raids have sparked fear within immigrant communities. They’ve also pledged to block any funding bill that includes money to build the border wall. 

Though border-state Republicans have been publicly skeptical about the need for a physical wall along the border, Democrats likely face an uphill battle to pass legislation rescinding the orders. 

Democrats would need to win over at least 12 Republican senators to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote procedural hurdle. 

In addition to Carper, Sens. Michael Bennet (Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Chris Coons (Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Al Franken (Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Kamala Harris (Calif.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Tim Kaine (Va.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Bob Menendez (N.J.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Jack Reed (R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.) are supporting the legislation.