A coalition of 16 US states, led by California, has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration over his decision to declare a national emergency to secure funding for a wall along the Mexican border. The states argue that the declaration represents a misuse of presidential power and is unconstitutional.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday, seeks to block Mr Trump from diverting funds approved by Congress for other purposes to pay for the wall. The president made the emergency declaration on Friday after Congress refused to approve $5.7bn (£4.4bn) for the barrier, instead granting only $1.375bn for new border barriers. Mr Trump said he had not needed to declare an emergency but did so to obtain funds more quickly.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra stated: "We're suing President Trump to stop him from unilaterally robbing taxpayer funds lawfully set aside by Congress for the people of our states." The states involved are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia, and Michigan. All but Maryland are governed by Democrats.
The states argue that the diversion of funds would cost them millions of dollars and harm their residents, natural resources, and economic interests. New York Attorney General Letitia James promised to "fight back with every legal tool at our disposal." Mr Trump responded on Twitter, calling the lawsuit predictable and referencing a stalled high-speed rail project in California.
The president claimed the emergency would allow him to secure nearly $8bn for the wall, still far short of the estimated $23bn cost. He predicted the case would likely reach the Supreme Court. Critics accuse the government of manufacturing a crisis, noting that most illegal immigrants overstay visas and most drugs enter through ports of entry. A separate lawsuit has been filed by the advocacy group Public Citizen on behalf of a nature reserve and three Texas landowners.
