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16 states, including Michigan, sue President Trump to halt use of emergency funds for border wall

Posted at 8:41 PM, Feb 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-19 19:11:00-05

(WXYZ) — Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Monday that Michigan would be joining 15 other states in a lawsuit challenging President Trump's national emergency declaration to secure funding for a border wall.

“This fake emergency is a publicity stunt that will raid our federal funding and cost us millions,” Nessel said. “We cannot in good conscience stand by while our president seeks to undermine our own efforts to keep our residents safe and our military strong.”

Nessel added that the president's declaration is a "manufactured crisis."

The 16 states listed in the lawsuit aim to "protect revenue, natural resources and economic interests" from President Trump's "flagrant disregard of fundamental separation of powers," as noted in the lawsuit.

The national emergency declared by Trump on Feb. 15 would take federal funding appropriated for the states and instead use those funds to build a wall along the southern border between the United States and Mexico.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra initiated the lawsuit, with the joining attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Virginia.

Read the full lawsuit below:

Complaint for Declaratory a... by on Scribd