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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Trump administration does not have the authority to use military funding to pay for the construction of the border wall.
In a 2-1 ruling, the court found that it was unconstitutional to divert $2.5 billion from the military that had already been appropriate by Congress. It found that the administration “lacked independent constitutional authority to authorize the transfer of funds,” because the Congress had directed the funds to be used for a particular purpose.
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Much of the $2.5 billion has already been awarded in contracts to different firms who have begun construction, with Trump making it a central plank of his reelection campaign.
Trump had declared a national emergency at the border last year to divert military funds for the wall after Democrats refused to allocate funds for the border wall in the budget, leading to a two-month government shutdown. NBC News
In other federal immigration news…
Trump Campaign Struggles to Appeal to Diverse Voters
Trump’s immigration policy is often at odds with his attempts to reach more diverse voters. His latest visa ban on H-1Bs disproportionately impacts Indians, whom he traveled halfway around the globe to court earlier this year. His campaign is set on increasing his standing among Latinx and Asian American voters, but Trump’s actions and words create an uphill battle. Politico
Task Force Shaping Biden’s Immigration Platform
Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, is co-chair of the immigration committee of the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force, a coalition meant to bridge the gaps within the different wings of the Democratic party. The Task Forces are creating policy platforms for the Democrats to campaign on in November. Biden has committed to creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The Guardian
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