Top Dem in immigration talks says Republicans are ignoring border chaos to help Trump

The Democrats' lead negotiator on a $118 billion bipartisan national security bill says GOP efforts to tank the bill are not based on its merits, but an effort to support former President Donald Trump's reelection bid.

"Right now most Republicans are prepared to listen to Donald Trump, who says he wants chaos to continue at the border because that will help him politically," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Morning Edition's Michel Martin.

At least two dozen GOP senators are casting doubt on the chances of the $118 billion bill, which would result in the most significant change to U.S. immigration law in some four decades.

It includes some roughly $20 billion for border provisions, including funding for the border wall and more asylum judges. And it would also fund humanitarian aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The deal is the result of months of tense negotiations, which began last fall after House Republicans insisted they would only support foreign aid if it was paired with policies to address a record influx of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico.

"We did exactly what Republicans told us to do," Murphy said. "We got a bipartisan border reform bill, a historic one. And now those same Republicans are saying that they are going to oppose the bill that they asked for because Donald Trump wants chaos at the border."

Immigration is shaping up to be a key issue in the 2024 presidential election, as border crossings reach new heights. Trump — the Republican primary frontrunner — has blamed Biden's policies for the border crisis, and recent polls show that voters have more confidence in Trump's ability to fix it.

Murphy said that Republicans blocking the bill would make the border less secure,