(LOS ANGELES, CA – 2/20/2019) – The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) today applauded the attorneys general of California and 15 other states who filed a lawsuit to challenge President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency.
The group of state attorneys filed the lawsuit Monday, an irony not lost on California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who in a statement said:
“Today, on Presidents Day, we take President Trump to court to block his misuse of presidential power … (he) is willing to manipulate the Office of the Presidency to engage in unconstitutional theater performed to convince his audience that he is committed to his ‘beautiful’ border wall. We’re suing President Trump to stop him from unilaterally robbing taxpayer funds lawfully set aside by Congress for the people of our states.”
Joining California in the suit are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia.
READ: Trump Declares a National Emergency, and Provokes a Constitutional Clash
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/us/politics/national-emergency-trump.html
In a statement, CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said:
“Trump’s declaration was nothing more than a dangerous act of desperation by a man attempting to use any avenue possible to push his agenda of bigotry and hatred, especially toward migrants and asylum seekers. Fortunately, the ink from his pen was barely dry before 16 attorneys general took a stand for those asking to be treated with dignity and respect from an administration that has shown none. We applaud their lawsuit. No matter the outcome, the battle for basic human rights will continue.”
In a 57-page complaint, the plaintiff states allege there is no “objective basis” for the declaration of a national emergency, as data produced by the federal government show there is “no national emergency at the southern border that warrants construction of a wall,” and that unauthorized entries are “near 45-year lows.”
READ: California’s Lawsuit Against Trump’s Emergency Wall Is Written to Appeal to Neil Gorsuch
Trump declared a national emergency on the border with Mexico on Feb. 15, in a last resort to find funding to fulfill a campaign promise of building a wall along the Southern border.
The declaration was a reaction to Congress rejecting his requests for funding to construct a border wall, which initially led to a partial government shutdown that lasted 35 days. Trump’s announcement came on the heels of his signing a border security bill on Feb. 14 to avoid another governmental shutdown.
The border security bill Trump signed Thursday provides $1.375 billion for border barriers, but nothing for the wall he has promised to build since he was a candidate.
Last week, CAIR-CA joined with its national and affiliate chapters in condemning and rejecting Trump’s declaration of emergency powers to construct a border wall. CAIR maintained Trump’s declaration was an abuse of executive authority and questioned the constitutionality of the move.
CAIR-CA is California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Manager Eugene W. Fields, 714-776-1847 or efields@cair.com