The border state is going to court to stop the wall

Leer en Español: California contra Trump

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has filed a lawsuit against the United States’ government over its plan to build a wall on the Mexican border. The action calls on San Diego’s federal lawyers to issue an order to stop the construction of the wall because the Donald Trump administration incurred in the abuse of authority by passing over environmental studies, and other laws, that protect the area where the wall is intended to be built.

The lawsuit has as its final objective to protect the economic interests and sovereignty of the state of Californian; the text of the lawsuit states that federal officials have so far not submitted data to support that the construction of the wall would prevent illegal immigration to the United States. More immediately, the legal paperwork seeks to stop the constructions of prototypes of the wall, as it is expected that these will begin to be erected in the upcoming weeks.

During a press conference after filing the lawsuit, Becerra accepted that immigration policy is a federal matter, but added that everyone has to follow the law, including the president who is ignoring the protection laws that are just as important as migration. “If you want to do business in the state of California, and that includes the president of the United States, then be prepared to follow the law,” the prosecutor emphasized.

The border of southern California and Mexico already has a fence that extends for 76 kilometers, from the Pacific Ocean to the outskirts of San Diego. During his first week in office, President Donald Trump proclaimed an executive order asking the National Security Department, which is responsible for enforcing immigration policy, to seek the resources for the construction of the wall, which was one of its main promises during the campaign.

California Governor Jerry Brown has already expressed concern about the wall and has even sent letters to the Department of Homeland Security expressing his concern, as well as the division it may generate.

It is not the first time that the state of California faces the federal government; after the announcement of suspension of the DACA program, Becerra sued the decision and the litigation is still in process. California has been one of the states that has stood up the most to the Trump administration.

Legal refutations to physical barriers at the border have failed in recent years as they are analyzed under the national security spectrum. The Congressional Investigation Service noted that it saw no legal impediment to the wall proposed by Trump if it was considered appropriate for border control during early May. Despite this situation, the Hearing Prosecutor is confident that violation of laws will help counteract Trump’s idea.

Latin American Post | Carlos Eduardo Gómez Avella

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