WASHINGTON, Feb 15 - President Donald Trump said on Friday he would declare a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, a move expected to plunge him into a fight with Democrats over what they call an unconstitutional attempt to fund a wall without approval from Congress.
Trump had demanded Congress include money for the wall, one of his biggest 2016 campaign promises, in a funding bill he was expected to sign either later on Friday or Saturday. It was approved overwhelmingly by Congress late on Thursday without the wall money he wanted, a legislative defeat for him.
A national emergency, if not blocked by the courts or Congress, would allow Trump to dip into funds lawmakers had approved for other purposes to build a border wall.