Twenty AGs Filed Lawsuit Challenging Declaration of National Emergency to Divert Funding for Border Wall Construction

FEBRUARY 18, 2019

In February 2019, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency for the purpose of diverting funding toward construction of a wall along the southern border. In their lawsuit, the AGs noted that wall construction “will cause irreparable environmental damage” to California and New Mexico’s natural resources, including dozens of plant and animal species protected under the Endangered Species Act.

In July 2023, the AGs announced that a settlement had been reached. The terms of the settlement included funding to various government agencies for efforts including endangered species protection programs, the construction of wildlife passages, and other conservation projects. Virginia and Wisconsin were not part of the settlement.