President Donald Trump’s border wall emergency isn’t an emergency at all, according to officials in at least 16 states who are suing him over his controversial declaration.
Also, published reports indicate that more states will soon join that coalition against the president. The states that have already joined are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Michigan.
Each of the states have Democratic governors, except Maryland and multiple reports indicate that the Trump administration is also bracing itself for lawsuits from other groups impacted by the emergency declaration and several of them have already been filed.
Three Texas landowners and an environmental group took legal action against Trump’s move, saying it violated the constitution and would infringe on their property rights.
“Today, on Presidents Day, we take President Trump to court to block his misuse of presidential power,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
“Trump is willing to manipulate the Office of the Presidency to engage in unconstitutional theater performed to convince his audience that he is committed to his ‘beautiful’ border wall. We’re suing President Trump to stop him from unilaterally robbing taxpayer funds lawfully set aside by Congress for the people of our states,” Becerra said.
Trump’s justification for a national emergency is a hyped crisis, the attorney general continued.
“Unlawful southern border entries are at their lowest point in 20 years, immigrants are less likely than native-born citizens to commit crimes, and illegal drugs are more likely to come through official ports of entry,” Becerra said.
In a news conference last week, Trump said that he would bypass Congress by declaring a national emergency to build a border wall along the nation’s southern border, after a protracted battle in which Congress has repeatedly declined to give the president billions to build border barriers.
He said he would use money earmarked for the military and other streams of revenue to build the $6.5 billion wall.
In his back-and-forth with media members, Trump admitted that he “didn’t have to do this,” a statement that officials from the states involved in the lawsuit is sure to come back to bite him in future court action.
“The only national emergency is the president’s trafficking in lies and deceit,” Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said.
The Congressional Black Caucus has long been critical of Trump’s desire to build a wall on the country’s Southern border.
And, following the president’s emergency declaration, CBC Chair Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) blasted the move as having “more to do with the President’s bruised ego than actually doing what is best for America.”
“The author of ‘The Art of The Deal’ couldn’t make a deal to build a wall. This is a fake solution to a fake crisis and we must stand firm in keeping the nation focused on the real issues impacting Americans,” Bass said.
“There are families who can’t make ends meet because their wages are too low. Citizens are being denied equal access at the ballot box because of voter suppression,” she said. “We have a criminal justice system that still treats Americans better if they are rich and guilty than if they are poor and innocent. “These are just some of the real crises confronting America. Mr. President, it’s time to finally demonstrate the leadership worthy of the office you hold.”
Now, the president will have to fight for his wall in federal court.
To view the lawsuit, click here.