Share

ACLU asks judge to bar Trump from building border wall

Share

WASHINGTON (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday asked a judge in California to block the Trump administration from building a border wall using funds obtained through his national emergency declaration.

The court papers say President Donald Trump has overstepped his executive powers by diverting funds from the Department of Defense for a border wall and the threat is pressing because efforts by Congress to stop him have failed, and building plans are starting to come into focus. Lawyers asked for a hearing as soon as possible.

Trump has said he will shift $3.6 billion from military construction to erecting border barriers and plans are taking shape. Congress has voted to provide less than $1.4 billion for border barriers, leaving Democrats and some Republicans fuming that Trump is abusing his powers by ignoring Congress’ constitutional control over spending.

New sections of wall using the funding will be built in Arizona and New Mexico — areas not covered by Congress’ allocation.

“Now that the President has started raiding military funds and vetoed Congress’s rejection of his emergency, it’s urgent that the court stop his unconstitutional power grab,” ACLU attorney Dror Ladin said in a statement.

Trending:
KJP Panics, Hangs Up in Middle of Interview When Reporter Shows He Isn't a Democratic Party Propagandist

Congress had approved a resolution annulling the national emergency that Trump declared at the U.S.-Mexico border in February. That included passage by the Republican-led Senate, in which 12 GOP senators — nearly 1 of every 4 — joined Democrats in blocking him.

Trump vetoed that measure almost immediately. But then the Democratic-led House failed to override the veto.

The request to block the construction Thursday was part of a legal challenge filed in February on behalf of the Southern Border Communities Coalition and the Sierra Club environmental group, a day after Trump’s declaration. In addition, a group of 16 states, including California, New York and Colorado, have also filed against the emergency declaration on similar grounds.

Trump has dismissed all legal action as an effort to stall important priorities through “activist” left-leaning judges who lack border experience.

Separately, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was about to begin construction as early as Thursday on approximately 13 miles of levee construction in the Rio Grande Valley using funds that were allocated in 2018.

Right now there is about 654 miles of barrier built along the 1,954-mile border with Mexico. The majority was constructed under George W. Bush’s administration.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation