The promise of President Trump's campaign to build a boundary wall is again starting to galvanize Washington after months of getting Obama's back seat and investigating Russian intervention.
Republican-led congress in recent days has introduced billions that would put tens of billions of dollars on the completion of a wall along the US-Mexico border.
Then the wrath of the critics on the wall plan intensified on Thursday when The Washington Post published a revealed transcript of a call between President Trump and Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto earlier this year, discussing the separation issue.
"You can not say this in print," said Trump Peña Nieto in his reply, saying Mexico would not pay for the wall. "The press will go with it and I can not live with it. I can not say this to the press because it can not negotiate in those circumstances."
On Thursday, Senator of Texas, John Cornyn, Republican Chamber of Commerce no. 2, filed a bill that would include spending $ 15 billion over four years for border security and a proposed wall.
The wall would combine a physical structure and technology to stop or at least slow down the flow of illegal immigrants to the United States. And the bill will help pay for thousands of new judges, immigration officials and border agents Trump wants to hire.
The bill also requires a massive "increase" of resources at US ports of entry and a national tracking system for people entering and leaving the country, according to Cornyn's office.
"For a long time the law enforcement in the front lines did not have the means to stop the flow of illegal immigration and this bill will provide resources and a plan to finally secure the border," Cornyn said.
The bill is co-authored by colleagues GOP Sens, John Barrasso from Wyoming, Ron Johnson from Wisconsin, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. They, like Cornyn, suggest that the concept of the wall is affecting Trump and says the purpose of the bill is to secure the border as a first step towards comprehensive immigration reform.
"While our borders are completely safe, the current system will continue to reward people entering our country illegally over those who follow the law," said Barrasso.
Last week, Texas GOP Rep Mike McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, presented a bill with an estimated cost of at least $ 15 billion including a physical wall, thousands of border agents and the deployment of so-called "Biometric Entry -Exit System."
"Ensuring our borders is first and foremost a matter of national security," McCaul said, who reportedly worked with Cornyn in legislation. "Illegal immigrants, smugglers and drug cartels continue to penetrate our country, so we must quickly secure our homeland through infrastructure, technology and personnel."
And like Corny's bill, House legislation deals with human trafficking issues and increases resources at entry ports and local law enforcement agencies.
For Trump month, Trump has slowed down by the GOP-led Congressional failed attempts to abolish and replace ObamaCare and investigate whether the Trump campaign collided with Russia in the 2016 presidential race.
Home Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, has already taken the issue of the border wall as part of its bid re-election in 2018.
"President Donald Trump and Paul Ryan are moving ahead with their border walls," California's Democrats said in a fundraiser letter Saturday. "They want to break the ground in construction as soon as possible so we will not be able to stop them. And, of course, they expect you to get the tab."
Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Georgia's David Perdue for a merit-based system for foreigners seeking permanent legal residence or green cards through employers.