WASHINGTON, D.C. — Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley is calling Trump’s border wall plan a waste of “scarce resources,” after the President said Wednesday that the wall will be built within “months.”
READ MORE: Trump says border wall construction will begin in ‘months,’ US taxpayers to be reimbursed
Trump Wednesday signed two executive orders in keeping with campaign promises to boost border security and crack down on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
Merkley is also calling the President’s immigration orders a “big mistake” that could “promote crime” in communities across the U.S.
Here’s Sen. Merkley’s full statement that was released Wednesday afternoon:
“Trump’s border wall will waste our scarce resources: a 21-foot ladder defeats a 20-foot wall. There are smarter strategies for border security and for infrastructure investment. Let’s repair and expand our roads, bridges, jetties, transmission lines, rural broadband, and water infrastructure, to name just a few much better options.
“Moreover, Trump’s plan to turn local police into immigration agents promotes crime by destroying the community policing strategies essential for effective law enforcement. It’s a big mistake, and I stand with our cities determined not to make this mistake.”
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