California to Sue Over Trump's Border Emergency
President Trump declared a national emergency to fund his border wall, but he's facing another wall in California.
In a speech at the White House, President Trump called illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border "an invasion of our country." Soon after, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will sue to stop the president.
Trump made up the "national emergency" to seize power and to subvert the Constitution, the governor said.
A "National Emergency"
After the president's declaration, White House aides said he has the power to repurpose money Congress previously approved for military construction and counter-drug operations. The administration has identified about $8 billion for the wall.
California Attorney General Xavier Beccera said his office is preparing a lawsuit to stop the emergency funding. He said several other states will likely join the case.
"President Trump got one thing right this morning about his declaration, when he said 'I didn't have to do this,'" Beccera said. "In fact, he can't do this."
Or a "Vanity Project"?
At a press conference Friday, Newsom called Trump's wall a "vanity project" that takes away from more serious matters. He said the Camp Fire, which killed 86 people in November, was a real emergency.
The U.S.-Mexico border is 1,933 miles long; the president wants a1,000-mile wall on the border. California shares about 140 miles of it with Mexico.
According to reports, it is a monumental task physically and politically. The battle over the wall in Washington recently shutdown the government for the longest stretch in history.
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