2019年2月15日上午，美国总统特朗普在白宫玫瑰园宣布，他将签署一项法案宣布美国进入国家紧急状态，以绕开国会对南部边境墙建设的资金限制。特朗普说，总统有权宣布国家进入紧急状态，这是为了保卫美国南部边境的安全，阻止犯罪分子、毒品等继续通过南部边境进入美国。
美国媒体分析指出，特朗普宣布进入国家紧急状态后，他就可以绕过国会，利用军事建设资金或美国陆军工兵资金修建边境墙。《纽约时报》披露，特朗普能够投入大约80亿美元修建边境墙，超过国会拒绝给予他的57亿美元。
2月14日，美国国会参众两院通过了一份总额达3330亿美元的边境安全和联邦支出法案， 为约四分之一的联邦政府机构拨款至9月30日即本财年结束。但是，对于特朗普一直主张的美墨边境墙项目，该法案仅同意提供13.8亿美元资金， 用于在得克萨斯州奥格兰德谷区域修建一段55英里长的实体墙。特朗普随后表示，愿意签署该法案，以避免联邦政府再次关门，但将采取其他行政手段，包括宣布进入国家紧急状态，以确保制止边境的国家安全和人道主义危机。
美国国会民主党人普遍反对特朗普宣布国家进入紧急状态。众议院议长佩洛西和参议院少数党领袖舒默在联合声明中称：“这不是紧急状态，总统散布恐惧情绪并不意味着进入紧急状态。国会将捍卫我们的宪法权威。” 但是，多数共和党议员支持特朗普宣布国家紧急状态。分析人士指出，现行法律虽然赋予了总统宣布进入国家紧急状态的权力，但这势力会为白宫带来一系列法律挑战，并为未来两党争斗树立不好的先例，进一步激化美国的政治极化和分裂。
Here's the presidential proclamation:
DECLARING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY CONCERNING THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE UNITED STATES
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
The current situation at the southern border presents a border security and humanitarian crisis that threatens core national security interests and constitutes a national emergency. The southern border is a major entry point for criminals， gang members， and illicit narcotics. The problem of large-scale unlawful migration through the southern border is long-standing， and despite the executive branch's exercise of existing statutory authorities， the situation has worsened in certain respects in recent years. In particular， recent years have seen sharp increases in the number of family units entering and seeking entry to the United States and an inability to provide detention space for many of these aliens while their removal proceedings are pending. If not detained， such aliens are often released into the country and are often difficult to remove from the United States because they fail to appear for hearings， do not comply with orders of removal， or are otherwise difficult to locate. In response to the directive in my April 4， 2018， memorandum and subsequent requests for support by the Secretary of Homeland Security， the Department of Defense has provided support and resources to the Department of Homeland Security at the southern border. Because of the gravity of the current emergency situation， it is necessary for the Armed Forces to provide additional support to address the crisis.
NOW， THEREFORE， I， DONALD J. TRUMP， by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America， including sections 201 and 301 of the National Emergencies Act （50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.）， hereby declare that a national emergency exists at the southern border of the United States， and that section 12302 of title 10， United States Code， is invoked and made available， according to its terms， to the Secretaries of the military departments concerned， subject to the direction of the Secretary of Defense in the case of the Secretaries of the Army， Navy， and Air Force. To provide additional authority to the Department of Defense to support the Federal Government's response to the emergency at the southern border， I hereby declare that this emergency requires use of the Armed Forces and， in accordance with section 301 of the National Emergencies Act （50 U.S.C. 1631）， that the construction authority provided in section 2808 of title 10， United States Code， is invoked and made available， according to its terms， to the Secretary of Defense and， at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense， to the Secretaries of the military departments. I hereby direct as follows:
Section 1. The Secretary of Defense， or the Secretary of each relevant military department， as appropriate and consistent with applicable law， shall order as many units or members of the Ready Reserve to active duty as the Secretary concerned， in the Secretary's discretion， determines to be appropriate to assist and support the activities of the Secretary of Homeland Security at the southern border.
Sec. 2. The Secretary of Defense， the Secretary of the Interior， the Secretary of Homeland Security， and， subject to the discretion of the Secretary of Defense， the Secretaries of the military departments， shall take all appropriate actions， consistent with applicable law， to use or support the use of the authorities herein invoked， including， if necessary， the transfer and acceptance of jurisdiction over border lands.
Sec. 3. This proclamation is not intended to， and does not， create any right or benefit， substantive or procedural， enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States， its departments， agencies， or entities， its officers， employees， or agents， or any other person.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF， I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of February， in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen， and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
DONALD J. TRUMP