Sen. Coons: “Building a physical wall spanning the entire southern border is nothing more than an expensive symbol of fear, insecurity, and xenophobia”

WILMINGTON, Del. - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response to the executive orders signed by President Trump on Wednesday:

“I recognize that improvements in border security and immigration enforcement are in our country’s interest. That’s why in 2013 I voted for a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would have invested $44.5 billion in security and enforcement through a series of targeted, effective actions -- a bipartisan effort that passed the Senate but never got a vote in the House. Building a physical wall spanning the entire southern border is nothing more than an expensive symbol of fear, insecurity, and xenophobia that comes at the expense of thoughtful immigration policy and border security -- not to mention common sense. Targeting sanctuary cities and localities harms trust between law enforcement and the communities they protect, takes funding from state and local law enforcement, and limits officers’ ability to determine how best to keep their communities safe. We're better than this.”