(click)BROWNSVILLE, Texas –  President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to build a U.S.-Mexico wall has touched off a fierce debate in the U.S. border towns that would be most affected – with local Democrats vowing to fight Trump tooth and nail if he proceeds.

“Mexico is an ally, not an enemy,” Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, told FoxNews.com. “It is our second-largest trading partner, and building a wall between two countries with such important ties is a senseless and wasteful exercise.”

Vela is a colorful Trump critic. He made headlines after calling the president-elect’s illegal immigrant policies “hateful, dehumanizing, and frankly shameful.” In a public letter, he also advised Trump to “take your border wall and shove it up your ass.”