Here's the draft of Trump's order declaring a national emergency to build the border wall

President Donald Trump is planning to declare a national emergency at the border and use the powers from such a declaration to order the construction of a border wall, according to a draft of the order published by CNN.

Trump has indicated that he is considering taking the drastic action in order to circumvent Congress, especially the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives.

"The massive amount of aliens who unlawfully enter the United States each day is a direct threat to the safety and security of our nation and constitutes a national emergency," reads the draft order.

CNN also reported that the administration is looking at various alternate sources for funding the border wall, which add up to more than $7 billion. He had asked Congress for $5.7 billion for his border wall, but has so far been rebuffed.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that Democrats would not sign on to any deal that included funding for Trump's border wall.

"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 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," the draft says.

Critics of the president have warned that if he were to take such an action that it would likely be met with legal challenges. Even some Republicans have cautioned against using the emergency powers of the executive in this manner.

On Thursday, the president offered to sign on to a continuing resolution on the budget as long as it included a "down payment" on the border wall.

And he hinted that he was still considering declaring a national emergency.

"Look, I have other alternatives if I have to," the president said to reporters.

"And I'll use those alternatives if I have to," he explained. "We want to go through the system. We have to have a wall in this country."

Here's more on the negotiations to end the shutdown: