Among many ongoing legal disputes between the United States federal government and Texas, a federal judge blocked the Biden administration on Friday, March 8, from redirecting $1.4 billion in funds authorized by Congress from border wall building to other projects.
The judgment follows President Joe Biden's January 2021 decree ending the Trump-era southern border national emergency and halting border wall construction. Agencies are now reviewing the case, which halted financing for the border wall that was supposed to be allocated in fiscal 2020 and 2021.
Biden stated, "It shall be the policy of my administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall."
Border Wall Construction
In June 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a proposal to halt construction on the majority of the border wall. By 2022, the plan would have been amended to cover repairs and improvements to the barrier system, including new lighting, cameras, and detecting systems.
According to Fox News, the states of Missouri and Texas filed a lawsuit, claiming that the transfer of funds was unlawful and a violation of the separation of powers. They also claimed that the states would suffer financial losses due to an increase in illegal immigration.
The DHS said that Texas had failed to prove that further illegal immigration would ensue from insufficient wall construction on the grounds that many social, economic, and politics-related factors may influence migratory surges.
The Court's Decision
US District Judge Drew Tipton ruled in favor of Texas and Missouri and placed a temporary injunction on redirecting money.
In his ruling, he said, "Texas has shown injury-in-fact through costs that it has incurred in administering driver's licenses, education, and healthcare to a rising number of illegal aliens." He added that the decision would mitigate the financial losses that Texas would otherwise suffer, making this disagreement redressable.
Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas issued a statement in which he accused Biden of unlawful behavior, as reported by Fox News. "His actions demonstrate his desperation for open borders at any cost, but Texas has prevailed."
