President Trump Pledges 'We Will Build The Wall!'
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) -- President Donald Trump will begin rolling out executive actions on immigration Wednesday, beginning with plans for building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and other enforcement measures, according to two administration officials.
The president tweeted late Tuesday that he's got a big day planned for Wednesday regarding national security.
"Among many other things, we will build the wall!" he tweeted.
Trump is also expected to roll out plans for restricting refugee flows to the U.S. later in the week.
Trump campaigned on pledges to tighten U.S. immigration policies, including beefing up border security and stemming the flow of refugees. He also called for halting entry to the U.S. from Muslim countries, but later shifted to focus on "extreme vetting" of those coming from countries with terrorism ties.
The president is expected to sign the actions Wednesday during a trip to the Department of Homeland Security.
In addition, Trump says he will announce his pick to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat sometime next week.
The president told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday that he'll be "making my decision this week'' and "we'll be announcing it next week.''
During his campaign, Trump publicly identified nearly two dozen candidates for the vacancy, but as CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, whispers around washington have the president focusing on federal judges William Pryor, Neil Gorsuch, and Diane Sykes.
"I'm hopeful that maybe President Trump would nominate someone who is mainstream and could get bipartisan support," New York Senator Chuck Schumer said Tuesday. "We shall see, but if they don't, yes. We'll fight it tooth and nail."
"We have some outstanding candidates,'' the president said. "And we'll pick a truly great Supreme Court justice.''
Trump made the comments while signing several executive orders during a busy fourth day in office, including ones advancing the Dakota Access and the Keystone XL pipeline, CBS New reported.
The move by Trump brought environmental justice protesters to Columbus Circle Tuesday night.
"Lots of jobs," the president said. "28,000 jobs, great construction jobs."
Meanwhile, Trump met with leaders in the auto industry, including the CEOs of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler.
"We are encouraged by the president and the economic policies he's forwarding," Ford Chief Executive and President Mark Fields said following the meeting.
On Capitol Hill, cabinet meetings continued as the have for the last several days.
Trump's choice to head the Department of Health and Human services Tom Price got a grilling for not divulging the administration's plans for Obamacare.
"If I have the privilege to be confirmed, I look forward to working with the president to bring that plan to you," he said.
But it was a comment made by the president last night that had spokesman Sean Spicer on the defensive. Trump told top Republicans and Democrats that some 3-5 million people voted illegally in the election, costing him the popular vote.
"The president does believe that, he has stated that before," Spicer said in his daily press briefing Tuesday. "I think he has stated his concern about voter fraud and people voting illegally during the campaign, and he continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him.
Top Republicans say they don't believe the president's claims, and say he should stop saying as much.
"I've seen no evidence to that effect," House Speaker Paul Ryan said. "I've made that very clear."
"I would urge the president to knock this off," South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham said. "He needs to disclose why he believes that. I don't believe that, it is the most inappropriate for the president to say without proof."
In Wednesday's announcement, the president may also propose steps to withhold funds from so-called immigration "sanctuary cities" -- including New York.
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