SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
U.S. Border Patrol Agents at Border Field State Park in Imperial Beach watch over personnel that are reinforcing the border wall with concertina wire. (Photo: Mani Albrecht/U.S. Border Patrol/Flickr)
A federal judge in Texas Friday afternoon ruled that President Donald Trump acted beyond his legal authority earlier this year when he declared a "national emergency" in order to redirect U.S. military funds in order to pay for sections of the infamous "wall" along the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to The Hill:
Judge David Briones of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas said in his opinion that the plan would be blocked after getting input from both sides in a lawsuit for the scope of an injunction.
The lawsuit was brought by El Paso County in Texas and a group called the Border Network for Human Rights.
Briones, who was appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton, ruled that Trump overstepped his authority to divert more funds to border security than what was appropriated by Congress.
Kristy Parker, an attorney with the legal nonprofit Protect Democracy who represented the plaintiffs, said the Briones ruling "vindicates the Founders' wisdom and confirms that the president is not a king, and that he cannot override Congress's power to decide how to appropriate funds."
Democratic lawmakers opposed to Trump's border wall policy celebrated the ruling.
"Trump circumvented Congress in an authoritarian power grab and stole military money to pay for his ridiculous vanity wall," tweeted Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) in response to the news. "I welcome this ruling and say once again: Not one penny will go to Trump's racist wall."
"We have not and will not fund your racist wall," declared Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
\u201cAND another judge ruled that @realDonaldTrump's unlawful emergency declaration to secure funds for his vanity project was just that--unlawful. \n\nWe have not and will not fund your racist wall. \n https://t.co/gyLeG5cbU5\u201d— Rep. Mark Pocan (@Rep. Mark Pocan) 1570821284
Briones ruling in Texas came right on the heels of a separate ruling by a U.S. District Court judge in New York City which put a stay on the Trump administration's effort to prevent low-income people from emigrating to the United States. As Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) pointed out:
\u201c(2/2)\nand\n(3) his public charge rule can't go forward.\n\nIt is not a good day in the legal world for this unlawful Administration.\u201d— Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@Rep. Nydia Velazquez) 1570823737
"It is not a good day in the legal world for this unlawful Administration," said Velazquez.
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
A federal judge in Texas Friday afternoon ruled that President Donald Trump acted beyond his legal authority earlier this year when he declared a "national emergency" in order to redirect U.S. military funds in order to pay for sections of the infamous "wall" along the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to The Hill:
Judge David Briones of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas said in his opinion that the plan would be blocked after getting input from both sides in a lawsuit for the scope of an injunction.
The lawsuit was brought by El Paso County in Texas and a group called the Border Network for Human Rights.
Briones, who was appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton, ruled that Trump overstepped his authority to divert more funds to border security than what was appropriated by Congress.
Kristy Parker, an attorney with the legal nonprofit Protect Democracy who represented the plaintiffs, said the Briones ruling "vindicates the Founders' wisdom and confirms that the president is not a king, and that he cannot override Congress's power to decide how to appropriate funds."
Democratic lawmakers opposed to Trump's border wall policy celebrated the ruling.
"Trump circumvented Congress in an authoritarian power grab and stole military money to pay for his ridiculous vanity wall," tweeted Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) in response to the news. "I welcome this ruling and say once again: Not one penny will go to Trump's racist wall."
"We have not and will not fund your racist wall," declared Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
\u201cAND another judge ruled that @realDonaldTrump's unlawful emergency declaration to secure funds for his vanity project was just that--unlawful. \n\nWe have not and will not fund your racist wall. \n https://t.co/gyLeG5cbU5\u201d— Rep. Mark Pocan (@Rep. Mark Pocan) 1570821284
Briones ruling in Texas came right on the heels of a separate ruling by a U.S. District Court judge in New York City which put a stay on the Trump administration's effort to prevent low-income people from emigrating to the United States. As Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) pointed out:
\u201c(2/2)\nand\n(3) his public charge rule can't go forward.\n\nIt is not a good day in the legal world for this unlawful Administration.\u201d— Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@Rep. Nydia Velazquez) 1570823737
"It is not a good day in the legal world for this unlawful Administration," said Velazquez.
A federal judge in Texas Friday afternoon ruled that President Donald Trump acted beyond his legal authority earlier this year when he declared a "national emergency" in order to redirect U.S. military funds in order to pay for sections of the infamous "wall" along the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to The Hill:
Judge David Briones of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas said in his opinion that the plan would be blocked after getting input from both sides in a lawsuit for the scope of an injunction.
The lawsuit was brought by El Paso County in Texas and a group called the Border Network for Human Rights.
Briones, who was appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton, ruled that Trump overstepped his authority to divert more funds to border security than what was appropriated by Congress.
Kristy Parker, an attorney with the legal nonprofit Protect Democracy who represented the plaintiffs, said the Briones ruling "vindicates the Founders' wisdom and confirms that the president is not a king, and that he cannot override Congress's power to decide how to appropriate funds."
Democratic lawmakers opposed to Trump's border wall policy celebrated the ruling.
"Trump circumvented Congress in an authoritarian power grab and stole military money to pay for his ridiculous vanity wall," tweeted Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) in response to the news. "I welcome this ruling and say once again: Not one penny will go to Trump's racist wall."
"We have not and will not fund your racist wall," declared Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
\u201cAND another judge ruled that @realDonaldTrump's unlawful emergency declaration to secure funds for his vanity project was just that--unlawful. \n\nWe have not and will not fund your racist wall. \n https://t.co/gyLeG5cbU5\u201d— Rep. Mark Pocan (@Rep. Mark Pocan) 1570821284
Briones ruling in Texas came right on the heels of a separate ruling by a U.S. District Court judge in New York City which put a stay on the Trump administration's effort to prevent low-income people from emigrating to the United States. As Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) pointed out:
\u201c(2/2)\nand\n(3) his public charge rule can't go forward.\n\nIt is not a good day in the legal world for this unlawful Administration.\u201d— Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@Rep. Nydia Velazquez) 1570823737
"It is not a good day in the legal world for this unlawful Administration," said Velazquez.