Appeals Court Blocks Trump鈥檚 Border Wall in National Emergency Challenge
SAN FRANCISCO 鈥� A federal appeals court today the government鈥檚 attempt to begin construction of President Trump鈥檚 border wall using funds unauthorized by Congress. The ruling upholds two earlier district court orders that together permanently block the administration from building wall sections along the southern border in New Mexico, Arizona and California using $2.5 billion in diverted military funds.
鈥淐ongress and now two courts have said no to border wall funds. For the sake of our democracy and border communities, it鈥檚 time the president come to terms with the fact that America rejected his xenophobic wall 鈥� and move on,鈥� said Dror Ladin, staff attorney with the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 National Security Project, who argued the case before the appeals court.
The ruling comes in a lawsuit brought by the 老澳门开奖结果 on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) challenging the president鈥檚 abuse of emergency powers to secure border wall funds Congress denied.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 Ninth Circuit ruling upholds the basic notion that only Congress can appropriate funds,鈥� said Gloria Smith, managing attorney at the Sierra Club. 鈥淲e've seen the damage that the ever-expanding border wall has inflicted on communities and the environment for decades. Walls divide neighborhoods, worsen dangerous flooding, destroy lands and wildlife, and waste resources that should instead be used on the infrastructure border communities truly need.鈥�
The 老澳门开奖结果, Sierra Club, and SBCC鈥檚 lawsuit argues the president is usurping Congress鈥檚 appropriations power and violating the clearly defined separation of powers inscribed in the Constitution. The border wall project 鈥� if carried out as directed under the president鈥檚 emergency proclamation 鈥� would cause irreparable harm to the environment and communities living at the border.
鈥淲e are pleased to see the court uphold the foundation of our democracy by denying the Trump Administration鈥檚 appeal,鈥� said Vicki B. Gaubeca, director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition. 鈥淧resident Trump鈥檚 overreach in attempting to build deadly and wasteful walls in our region 鈥� walls that greatly diminish public safety and our quality of life, walls that threaten our diverse wildlife 鈥� will not stand, and we will continue to fight for the southern border region.鈥�
The Sierra Club and SBCC have members who live in, protect, and treasure the lands that the Trump administration has targeted for the construction.
This statement is online here: /press-releases/appeals-court-blocks-trumps-border-wall-national-emergency-challenge
