President’s invocation of emergency powers for funding was illegal, they say.
On Friday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2019 district court summary judgment ruling that President Trump’s use of emergency powers to allocate millions of dollars in funding for the construction of a southern border wall was illegal. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and “all persons acting under their direction” were blocked “from using military construction funds appropriated for other purposes to build a border wall.”
Court documents show that $3.6 billion reserved for military construction projects was diverted to fund eleven specific border wall construction projects in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, including 175 miles of border wall.
In a separate Ninth Circuit decision in July, the court ruled against President Trump’s border wall financing move, saying it had run afoul of the Appropriations Clause of the Constitution which gives Congress the exclusive power of the purse. However, a 5-4 ruling from the Supreme Court last month declined to let the Ninth Circuit’s decision to take effect.
There has so far been no comment from the White House. More than 340 miles of border wall has been constructed.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For President Trump and members of his Administration as they consider appealing the Ninth Circuit’s decision to the Supreme Court.
- For those who will determine whether or not construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall will continue.
- For wisdom for officials promoting the border wall as a deterrent to illegal immigration.
Sources: The Hill, National Life, Washington Post
