16 US states sue Trump over emergency declaration

Muscat: A 16-state coalition led by California have united to sue President Donald Trump over his emergency declaration.
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, said about the lawsuit, “President Trump is manufacturing a crisis and declaring a made-up ‘national emergency’ in order to seize power and undermine the Constitution.”
“This ‘emergency’ is a national disgrace. Rather than focusing on fighting the real vulnerabilities facing Americans, the President is using the powers of America’s highest office to fan the flames of nativism and xenophobia.
Our message to the White House is clear: California will not be part of this political theatre. We will see you in court.”
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, stated, “President Trump treats the rule of law with utter contempt. He knows there is no border crisis, he knows his emergency declaration is unwarranted, and he admits that he will likely lose this case in court.
“He is willing to manipulate the Office of the Presidency to engage in unconstitutional theatre performed to convince his audience that he is committed to his ‘beautiful’ border wall,” said Becerra.
The complaint alleges that the Trump Administration’s action in declaring a national emergency due to a purported border crisis is unlawful and unconstitutional.
President Trump’s crisis, according to the suit, is a pretext to justify redirecting congressionally-appropriated funds to pay to build a wall along the southern border after he failed to get Congress — or Mexico — to pay for it.
According to Becerra, facts do not support President Trump’s rhetoric or his declaration, citing statistics that show unlawful southern border entries were at their lowest point in 20 years, immigrants were less likely than native-born citizens to commit crimes, and illegal drugs were more likely to come through official ports of entry.
The states allege that the Trump Administration’s action exceeds the power of the executive office, violates the U.S.
Constitution and federal statutes, and would illegally and unconstitutionally divert federal funds appropriated by Congress for other purposes.
The suit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to block the emergency declaration, the construction of the wall, and any illegal diversion of congressionally-appropriated funds.
Joining Attorney General Becerra in filing the lawsuit were the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia.