Sixteen US states file lawsuit to block Donald Trump's national emergency declaration over border wall
Sixteen US states have filed a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration to get funding for his border wall.
New York joined California and 14 other states on Monday in claiming the president is threatening public safety with the move.
The lawsuit alleges that the US leader is manufacturing a crisis and that his declaration is an "unconstitutional and unlawful scheme."
All states involved in the suit have Democratic attorney generals.
BREAKING: We’ve joined 15 AGs in filing a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency & his attempt to divert funding appropriated by Congress for other purposes.
Declaring a National Emergency when one does not exist is immoral and illegal.— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG)
Mr Trump declared a national emergency on Friday to shift billions of dollars to fund a promised wall on the US-Mexico border.
He did this after Congress refused to approve the amount of cash he wanted for the controversial project.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said Mr Trump is threatening public safety with the move to divert funding from military construction.
This year's defence budget includes $194 million (£150 million) for construction at military installations in New York.
Ahead of the president’s announcement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the declaration would be a “lawless act, a gross abuse of the power of the presidency and a desperate attempt to distract" from Mr Trump's failure to force Mexico to pay for the wall.
Ms Pelosi and Mr Schumer also said "Congress will defend our constitutional authorities".
President @realDonaldTrump signs the Declaration for a National Emergency to address the national security and humanitarian crisis at the Southern Border. pic.twitter.com/0bUhudtwvS
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec)
The national emergency strategy also divided Republicans
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican moderate, had said in a statement: "Declaring a national emergency for this purpose would be a mistake on the part of the president."
But Representative Mark Meadows, chairman of a right-wing Republican faction in the House, said: "At this point, President Trump must look at taking executive action - and I will stand with him to protect our sovereign borders."