Federal court rules President Donald Trump's national emergency proclamation for border is unlawful

Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Federal court rules President Donald Trump's national emergency proclamation for border is unlawful 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A U.S. court in Texas has ruled against President Donald Trump and his administration in regards to a national emergency proclamation about the border.

Judge David Briones said the president's Feb. 15 proclamation — which called the southern U.S. border a security and humanitarian crisis — was "unlawful," according to a court document filed Friday.

Briones, who was nominated by former President Bill Clinton, said Trump, in addition to declaring a national emergency, called for his administration to "use funds that Congress appropriated for other purposes to build a border wall."

The senior U.S. district judge noted Trump directed funds to build a border wall, and the Defense Department determined it would use $3.6 billion on 11 border wall projects.

Briones said the proclamation violated Congress's appropriations act because it sought additional funds for border barrier funding.



The lawsuit was brought by El Paso County and the human rights advocacy and immigration organization Border Network for Human Rights.