
16 US states sue Donald Trump over border wall emergency
Sixteen US states sued President Donald Trump’s administration Monday over his decision to declare a national emergency to fund a wall on the southern border with Mexico, saying the move violated the constitution.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, said the president’s order was contrary to the Presentment Clause that outlines legislative procedures and the Appropriations Clause, which defines Congress as the final arbiter of public funds.
The move had been previously announced by Xavier Becerra the attorney general of California who said his state and others had legal standing because they risked losing moneys intended for military projects, disaster assistance and other purposes.
Several Republican senators have decried the emergency declaration, saying it establishes a dangerous precedent and amounts to executive overreach.
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Virginia are party to the complaint seeking an injunction.
“Use of those additional federal funds for the construction of a border wall is contrary to Congress’s intent in violation of the US Constitution, including the Presentment Clause and Appropriations Clause,” the complaint said.
It added that Trump had “veered the country toward a constitutional crisis of his own making.”
“Congress has repeatedly rebuffed the president’s insistence to fund a border wall, recently resulting in a record 35-day partial government shutdown over the border wall dispute,” the document read.
“After the government reopened, Congress approved, and the president signed into law, a $1.375 billion appropriation for fencing along the southern border, but Congress made clear that funding could not be used to build President Trump’s proposed border wall.”
The complaint added that the Department of Homeland Security had violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to evaluate the environmental impact of the wall in California and New Mexico.
Friday’s declaration enables the president to divert funds from the Pentagon’s military construction budget and other sources.

Australia PM Morrison supports his attorney-general's denial of rape accusations

Biden's approval rating declines in 2 months, maintains majority approval

SpaceX’s biggest rocket manages first successful landing, then explodes

Facebook lifts ban on US political, social issue ads

Nearly 40 killed in violent day of protests against Myanmar coup, says UN envoy

Rishi Sunak delays UK fiscal squeeze until year before next election

Buckingham Palace 'very concerned' about bullying claims by former staff

Donald Trump weighs 2024 run without Mike Pence, say allies

SpaceX’s biggest rocket successfully lands in third try

Biden administration asks for more time on decision to release Trump taxes

Germany extends Covid-19 lockdown but paves way to relax more curbs

Biden forced to pull Tanden nomination for key budget post
- She will eventually have a role in the Biden administration, but it was not immediately clear how.

PM Khan to seek vote of confidence in parl, says report
- Gilani received 169 votes to Sheikh’s 164, election authorities and opposition parties said.

Pak needs to enact laws to fulfil FATF targets
- The FATF said Pakistan had “largely addressed” 24 of the 27 items in the action plan.

Scandal-hit Cuomo may see emergency powers taken away
- The governor hasn’t taken questions from reporters since a February 19 briefing, an unusually long gap for a Democrat whose daily, televised updates on the coronavirus pandemic were must-see TV last spring.