Trump declared an emergency in a bid to bypass Congress to obtain money for border wall construction after a standoff over funding for the project led to the longest government shutdown in US history. About 20 states, including Democratic strongholds New York and California, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), environmental groups and border communities are involved in suits that claim the emergency declaration violates the constitution. "We've seen the damage that the ever-expanding border wall has inflicted on communities and the environment for decades. "Yet again, the American people have had to look to our courts for a check on President Trump's unlawful power grabs." Trump made the construction of a wall to stem illegal immigration from Latin America central to his successful 2016 campaign for the presidency.

Source: Bangkok Post May 25, 2019 03:56 UTC