Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., wrote the draft of the proposal. | AP Photo Democrats prepare bill to overturn Trump immigration order

House Democrats are preparing to file legislation that would effectively overturn President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting travel by immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, though the measure faces long odds given that Republicans control Congress and the White House.

According to a draft of the proposal written by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) — the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee’s immigration panel — the bill would declare Trump’s order “null and void” and bar federal agencies from using any funds to enforce it.


The Trump order's restrictions on travel by nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries — and its preference for allowing exceptions for religious minorities in those countries — prompted an outcry over the weekend and resulted in opponents labeling it a ban on Muslim immigration from those countries. Ambiguous directives also led to confusion about whether green card holders were permitted to enter the United States, though the Trump administration has since clarified that they should be allowed through.

Lofgren was also one of four Democrats who signed a letter late Sunday demanding an “emergency” meeting with newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.

House Speaker Paul Ryan has endorsed Trump’s executive order, making the bill a likely non-starter in the Republican-controlled House, although many GOP lawmakers have expressed reservations about the immigration moves.

The bill, which Democrats are calling the “Statue of Liberty Values Act of 2017,” was an expected reaction to the outcry over the weekend after Trump’s order created chaos at airports around the world and sparked a new wave of protests. Democrats are also planning a rally on the Supreme Court steps Monday evening.