A split decision in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has handed Trump $3.6 Billion for the big ugly wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, using Defense Department money from the military that Trump has done so much for.
“This is a victory for the rule of law. We are committed to keeping our borders secure, and we will finish the wall,” said White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
As opponents call this an abuse of power, Trump officials continue to suggest that the 450 mile wall is a top priority and national emergency.
Congress initially authorized $1.3 Billion for the construction project in the budget passed in December, despite claims that Mexico would pay for the wall.
Trump tapped his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, to help speed up completion of the wall, but the project has been plagued by delay.
And protracted legal battles are not the only thing slowing down construction. The government has found the process of seizing private land for the border wall to be vexing, leading critics to question whether Trump will get anywhere near those hoped-for 450 miles of new border barriers.
Lawyers for El Paso County and the Border Network for Human Rights are still fighting for the groups who sued the administration, expecting that in the end the people of El Paso and the border community will prevail.
See NPR for more.