Trumpland

Federal Judge Blocks Trump From Using Military Funds for Border Wall

UH OH

The same judge who issued a temporary injunction against the projects last month has now made it permanent—and expanded the scope.

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A federal judge in California has permanently barred the Trump administration from tapping into military funds for some border wall construction projects—which were expected to begin as early as Monday. U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam had initially issued a temporary injunction last month against President Trump’s plans to divert Defense Department funds for border wall projects in Arizona and New Mexico. On Friday, he made the injunction permanent and added four new sites in Arizona and California to the list of projects that could not use Defense Department funds. The decision reportedly came just hours after Justice Department lawyers informed the judge the Department of Homeland Security intended to start construction as early as July 1. Although the Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling, critics of the president’s border wall plans hailed the decision. “These rulings critically stop President Trump’s illegal money grab to divert $2.5 billion of unauthorized funding for his pet project,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said. “All President Trump has succeeded in building is a constitutional crisis, threatening immediate harm to our state.” 

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