WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2019) A US Federal judge in the state of Texas has ruled that President Donald Trump's plan to redirect emergency funds to build the southern border wall is illegal, a court filing revealed on Friday.
"Because the Proclamation seeks additional funds for border barrier funding in violation of the CAA [Consolidated Appropriations Act] generally and 739 of the CAA specifically, it is unlawful," US District Court Judge David Briones said the ruling. "It is hereby ordered that ... a preliminary injunction' is granted."
Judge Briones said he would get input from both sides before deciding on the scope of the injunction.
The plaintiffs in the case - El Paso Country, Texas and the Border Network for Human Rights - will have 10 days to file a proposed preliminary injunction, and the Trump administration will need to respond to that proposal within five days, Briones said.
The plaintiffs argued that Trump overreached his authority when he declared a national emergency in order to get more funding to build a border wall.
Trump issued his proclamation to declare a national emergency and set aside money Congress had refused to approve for building a wall along the border with Mexico. Trump says the wall is necessary to end the flood of illegal immigrants and deadly drugs into the United States, while Democrats accuse him of exaggerating the threat.
After a budget battle this year, Congress approved $1.37 billion to build the border wall, but this still fell far short of the $5.7 billion in funding that the Trump administration had sought to complete the project.
