California and 19 other states that are suing President Donald Trump over his emergency declaration to build a border wall have requested a court order to stop money from being diverted to fund the project.
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California and 19 Other States Try to Block Money From Going to Trump’s Border Wall
A U.S. Border Patrol agent patrols the Goat Canyon area near Calexico along the U.S.-Mexico border. (Ariana Drehsler/KQED)
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Friday that the group of states took action to prevent $1.6 billion from being siphoned away from fighting drug trafficking and funding military construction projects.
"It is time for us to make it clear that if you want to build something using taxpayer money, you gotta get permission," Becerra said in his press conference this morning. "The way previous presidents have always done."
Becerra says it’s important to block the diversion of funds in advance because it will be harder to replace once it's committed to border wall construction.
The action is part of the states’ lawsuit challenging Trump’s emergency declaration to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The coalition says the declaration was unconstitutional because it bypasses the role of Congress to authorize funding.
Reporting was contributed by KQED's Michelle Wiley.
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