The US Senate delivered a surprisingly strong rebuke of President Donald Trump on Thursday, as several Republicans joined opposition Democrats in voting to terminate his declared emergency on the southern border.

A dozen Republicans supported ending Trump's emergency that he hoped would provide him cover to secure alternative government funding for his protective wall on the US-Mexico border denied to him by Congress.

But opponents warned that Trump's move smacked of executive overreach, and insisted a vote to curtail his authority would preserve the constitutionally mandated separation of powers in Washington. 

President Trump immediately made clear he would use his veto powers to override the congressional vote.

"VETO!" came the president's one-word response, tweeted after a dozen fellow Republicans joined all Democrats in voting down the emergency.

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