AG Comments After Northern CA Court Finds Against Trump Admin

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today responded to a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California declaring unlawful President Trump’s diversion of $3.6 billion in funding for military construction projects to build a border wall.

The decision grants in part the motions filed by the nine-state coalition led by Attorney General Becerra and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The motions were filed on behalf of the Sierra Club and Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) and were designed to stop the Trump Administration from moving forward with plans to divert funding and begin construction of border barriers in California, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The Court stayed the permanent injunction, granted to Sierra Club and SBCC, pending appeal.

“We applaud the court for declaring unlawful President Trump’s desperate attempt to divert money from important military construction projects to build his unnecessary border wall Congress refused to fund,” said Attorney General Becerra. “This is a critical victory that sends a strong message to the White House: you are not above the law.”

The Attorney General’s motion sought to protect more than $400 million in funds intended for various military construction projects from being diverted toward the construction of border barrier projects instead. The filing argued that the proposed barrier projects would cause financial harm by diverting funds that would have brought significant benefits to local economies. The barrier projects would thus also significantly reduce local tax revenues.

Specifically at risk in California was $8 million allotted for the construction of a flight simulator facility used to train military personnel on aerial firefighting and rescue operations.

A copy of today’s court decision can be viewed at: https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/Border%20Wall%202808%20Decision.pdf