In a letter to lawmakers, Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, appealed to Republicans to reconsider their opposition to the bipartisan Border Act as he moves towards holding a vote on the stalled immigration reform legislation this week.

He also acknowledged that the bill, which is intended to reduce migrant arrivals, may not win unanimous support from Democrats. Some advocates for migrants have decried the legislation as a hardline policy that would undercut the US’s humanitarian obligations.

“We are hopeful this bipartisan proposal will bring serious-minded Republicans back to the table to advance this bipartisan solution for our border,” Schumer said. “I will be honest: I do not expect all Democrats to support this legislation. Many of our colleagues do not support some of the provisions in this legislation, nor do I expect all Republicans to agree to every provision. But that is often how bipartisan legislation must be shaped when dealing with an issue as complex and politically charged as our nation’s immigration laws.”

He also attacked Donald Trump for publicly urging that the legislation be opposed earlier this year, when it was attached to a foreign aid package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan’s militaries. That measure eventually passed as a standalone bill. Here’s what Schumer had to say:

Back in January, the former president urged congressional Republicans to kill the bipartisan bill, telling the world proudly to ‘blame it on me’. The American people do not have the luxury of playing partisan blame games. They want bipartisan action to secure our border.

Good morning, US politics blog readers. Senate Democrats will try once again to pass a bill to tighten immigration policy, which Donald Trump and his Republican allies killed earlier this year.

It is likely to be a fruitless effort. While the legislation may get through Congress’s Democratic-led upper chamber, the Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and his colleagues announced that the bill would be, once again, “dead on arrival” when it gets over to his side of the Capitol.

What’s the point of the legislative brouhaha that will surely unfold over the next few days? It is a sign of how worried Democrats are about appearing blasé about the large numbers of people entering the United States across its southern border, which polls show is a major worry of voters. The legislation – negotiated by a bipartisan group of lawmakers – would tighten immigration policy in a way intended to keep migrants out. Even if it does not pass, the vote may be an opportunity for vulnerable Democratic senators up for re-election in November – think Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, both red states – to show that they are ready to take action on the issue.

The White House this morning reiterated that it supported the legislation, and Joe Biden has gone as far as to urge Trump, whose meddling was seen as instrumental in the bill’s death earlier this year, to work with him on the issue. We’ll see if this renewed push goes any better for Senate Democrats than the last time they tried.

Here’s what else is going on:

• Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, is expected to return to the witness stand for the final day of testimony in his business fraud trial. Follow our live blog for more.

• Julian Assange won a court ruling in the UK that will allow him to again appeal his extradition to the United States on espionage charges.

• The international criminal court’s chief prosecutor announced arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the leaders of Hamas. We have a live blog about that, too.