AG Ferguson Goes After Trump Over Border Wall Funding

OLYMPIA, WA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed his 48th lawsuit against the Trump administration on Thursday, this time challenging the president's plan to take money from military construction projects to fund the Mexico border wall.

In February, Trump declared an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, and issued an executive order to divert $3.6 billion from military projects to fund partial wall construction. That includes about $89 million from a pier and maintenance facility project at the Bangor submarine base near Silverdale.

In his lawsuit, Ferguson is asking a judge to block Trump's moving of those funds. Ferguson argues that Trump overstepped by using money that was already appropriated by Congress.

"Our nation’s founders enshrined our system of checks and balances in our Constitution. President Trump’s actions threaten to undermine that system. We will not allow that to happen," Ferguson said in a statement Thursday.

Ferguson also said that the Bangor project is important for the sailors who work at the base. The project would build a pier and maintenance facility for boats that escort submarines through the Straight of Juan de Fuca. Right now, the boats don't have a permanent place to dock, sometimes forcing sailors to remain at sea for long periods.