On Friday, a federal judge temporarily stopped President Donald Trump’s plan to spend billions of the Defense Department funds in constructing the U.S – Mexico border wall.
The ruling by Haywood Gilliam, a United States District Court Judge, affected wall constructions in Yuma Arizona, El Paso, and Texas, respectively. Last February, the United States’ president, Donald Trump, declared a national emergency and ordered the redirection of billions of funds from the Department of Defense to commence the construction of the border wall.
In his ruling, Judge Haywood Gilliam insisted that when the Congress rejects an Executive request for fund appropriation, the Executive finding a means to spend the same fund behind the Congress is not contained within the principles of fundamental power separation of the United States. He referred to Donald Trump’s plan to use Pentagon Funds for border-wall construction as unconstitutional, since the argument which White House relied on only applied to unforeseen circumstances.
The national emergency order, which includes the fund redirect to border wall construction, came after the President had a stand-off with the Democrats over border wall funding, and resulted in a 35-day partial government standoff. About 20 states, civil liberties groups, and environmental groups sued the administration to pause all plans for the wall construction.
According to a statement by Dror Ladin, one of the attorneys for American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) National Security Project, the latest court order is of benefit for the country’s system of checks and balances, border communities and the rule of law. He also vowed that the union would be back in court as soon as there is any redirection of military funding towards the border wall project.
