On 15 February President Donald Trump issued a state of national emergency in response to what he said is “National security and Humanitarian crisis.”
But critics are calling it a response to what happened at the Govt. Shutdown. Earlier this year, Trump had requested the Congress to grant him $5.7 billion to fund his border wall which was promptly rejected. And in response, he had issued a state of national emergency which will now grant him constitutional power to fund his border wall.
But to stop what many people are calling unconstitutional, 16 States which includes Illinois, N.Y. and California have formed a coalition and are challenging President Trump over his decision to issue a National emergency to fund his border wall.
The Congress was also planning to override this decision what it seems that will be futile. The house of representatives which has a Democrat majority could introduce a what to overturn Trump’s this decision. But due to Trump’s veto that would seem very difficult.
Therefore, lawmakers are turning to the courts and are challenging trump on what they are calling is an unconstitutional decision. The coalition of states which includes California, New York, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon and Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, and New Jersey on Monday filed a formal complaint against trump at the court.
The attorney general of California and also one the primary signatory of the lawsuit, Xavier Becerra describes the purpose of the lawsuit. The lawsuit states “Contrary to the will of Congress, the president has used the pretext of a manufactured ‘crisis’ of unlawful immigration to declare a national emergency and redirect federal dollars appropriated for drug interdiction, military construction and law enforcement initiatives toward building a wall on the United States-Mexico border.”
This is not the first time POTUS has invoked a National Emergency since the Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act of 1976. But never this has been to make a do around after the refusal of funding by Congress.
Now we have to wait and see what this lawsuit unfolds and how Trump would react to this lawsuit. Whether he would be successful in his endeavor is only time could tell.