In summary
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra suing the Trump administration for alleged violations of state and federal environmental law and the 10th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
President Trump’s proposed southern border wall now has one more barrier in its path: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
This morning, California’s top law enforcement officer announced that he is filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for alleged violations of state and federal environmental law and the 10th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
“The border between the U.S. and Mexico spans some 2,000 miles—the list of laws violated by the President’s administration in order to build his campaign wall is almost as long,” Becerra said at a press conference, overlooking the border fence at a state park in southern San Diego.
Last August, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would be exempting the border wall construction project from a few dozen environmental and land-management regulations to speed up construction.
Other state officials attending today’s press conference included Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher, a Democrat from San Diego, San Diego City Council member David Alvarez and Steve Padilla, a councilman for the City of Chula Vista who also sits on the California Coastal Commission.
“If you’re going to be in California and you’re going to talk about the rule of law, well, you damn well better make sure that you protect some of our most precious assets in following that law,” Padilla said.
Becerra insisted the decision to go to court is not politically motivated.
“My personal feeling about what has been done in the past, and what even may be done in the future, isn’t what is at issue here,” he said. “What matters is once this democracy has taken action by instituting certain rules and laws, that we abide by those laws.”