红杏视频

WASHINGTON 鈥� The 红杏视频 today filed a new lawsuit challenging the Trump administration鈥檚 transfer of an additional $3.8 billion in military funds for border wall construction. Congress did not authorize the funds.

鈥淭he president is doubling down on his unlawful scheme to raid taxpayer funds for a xenophobic campaign promise that is destroying national treasures, harming the environment, and desecrating tribal lands,鈥� said Dror Ladin, staff attorney with the 红杏视频鈥檚 National Security Project. 鈥淲e鈥檝e stopped him before and are returning to court to stop him again.鈥�

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition in the Northern District of California.

The same court last year issued multiple rulings finding that the president鈥檚 initial transfer of over $6 billion in military funds for the wall was unlawful. The rulings came as part of the 红杏视频鈥檚 ongoing lawsuit, Sierra Club v. Trump, challenging the president鈥檚 abuse of emergency powers to secure border wall funds Congress denied. The administration鈥檚 appeals of those rulings are currently pending before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with the most recent appeal scheduled for argument on March 10, 2020.

鈥淢ultiple courts have already ruled that President Trump has no authority to take billions from service members for his wall obsession. Not one court has said Trump鈥檚 power grab is legal,鈥� added Ladin.

The Supreme Court temporarily allowed the administration to begin wall construction pending the appeal process, but has not yet decided the case or given the president鈥檚 abuse of emergency powers the stamp of approval.

As the Sierra Club and SBCC long warned would happen, construction of President Trump鈥檚 border wall is currently ancestral and burial lands, destroying protected landscapes, and threatening wildlife.

鈥淭he Trump administration鈥檚 illegal transfer of billions of dollars for wall construction has created a disaster in the borderlands,鈥� said Gloria Smith, Managing Attorney at the Sierra Club. 鈥淭he destruction of cultural sites, Tribal burial grounds, endangered species, protected cacti and water resources shows that Trump will stop at nothing for this wall 鈥� not irreplaceable resources nor the Constitution. Trump wants a blank check for these destructive projects, but it is imperative that the courts continue to halt his egregious abuse of power.鈥�

The organizations note in their filing that the Constitution assigns Congress, not the president, the authority to decide how taxpayer funds are to be spent. The president cannot circumvent the system that is enshrined in the Constitution, essential to the democratic process, and critical to ensuring taxpayers have a say in how their hard-earned dollars are spent.

鈥淭rump鈥檚 obsession with building his dangerous and deadly wall using illegally diverted military funds is a complete disregard for the checks and balances that are integral to our democracy,鈥� said Vicki B. Gaubeca, director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition. 鈥淭hese irresponsible and dangerous walls don鈥檛 make us safer, but do harm border communities and wildlife. We must stop Trump鈥檚 unconstitutional cash grabs and move towards a where human rights are respected and all communities feel safe.鈥�