California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the suit will argue that federal officials are running afoul of the law by declaring the border wall to be an emergency that justifies waiving environmental studies and usual contracting procedures. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images California sues to block Trump's border wall

The state of California is suing to block President Donald Trump's plan to construct a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, the top lawyer for the state told reporters Tuesday.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Diego on Wednesday argues that the effort violates federal law and the Constitution by intruding on state authority, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said.


"They're violating the 10th Amendment and infringing on a lot of state laws, not just federal laws, that affect our state. At the same time, they're trying to do something that only Congress can do," Becerra told journalists in Washington in advance of an official announcement he plans to make in San Diego on Wednesday.

Becerra said the suit contends that federal officials are running afoul of the law by declaring the expansion of the border wall to be an emergency that justifies waiving environmental studies and usual contracting procedures.

During the presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to create a border wall that the Mexican government would pay for. Mexican officials have flatly rejected contributing any funds to such a project. With most Democrats in Congress staunchly opposed to the idea, it's unclear how Trump will get money for construction.

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Nevertheless, Trump administration officials are pressing forward with studies and prototypes. In recent weeks, the Department of Homeland Security awarded contracts to eight companies to produce prototypes of potential barriers. Half the awards were for concrete wall designs, while the others will explore use of other materials.

Becerra announced the suit during a press conference at a state park near the border.

One of the Trump administration's most outspoken supporters of tougher measures at the border — Attorney General Jeff Sessions — was nearby a bit earlier on Wednesday announcing record drug seizures.

Asked about the suit, Sessions said: "Well, in the United States, anybody can sue, but the United States of America has a border. The United States government has the control of that border and a responsibility to secure it. We would expect to be fully successful in moving forward with a border wall as Congress gives us the money to do so."

