AG Mark Herring Praises Injunction to Block Trump’s Border Wall

RICHMOND (May 25, 2019)—Attorney General Mark R. Herring praised the preliminary injunction issued late yesterday that blocks President Trump’s unlawful attempts to divert and direct money to a wall along the southern border under the guise of a “national emergency.”

“I have consistently said, and now a federal judge has agreed, that concocting a fake national emergency to divert money to a needless vanity project is unlawful and inconsistent with our American values,” said Attorney General Herring. “President Trump’s unlawful diversion of military resources is a particular threat to Virginia, which could see millions of dollars in military construction projects and upgrades delayed or cancelled. I hope the White House will finally realize that the President is not a king, and limits on authority must be respected.”

Yesterday’s injunction was granted in Sierra Club et al. v. Donald Trump et al.in the Northern District of California. In April, Attorney General Herring and his colleagues filed a motion in a companion case, California et al. v. Trump et al., to block the Trump Administration’s attempt to unlawfully divert $1.6 billion in federal funds to build a border wall. The motion is part of the attorneys generals’ ongoing lawsuit brought by a 20 state coalition challenging President Trump’s unconstitutional action to divert funding and resources meant for law enforcement, drug interdiction, and military construction projects.