U.S.

Trump Declares National Emergency

Editor-In-Chief Orlando Angelone

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Duke's Dispatch) - President Trump declared a national emergency on February fifteenth in a response to what he considers a crisis at the United States Southern Border with Mexico.

This comes after the President signed a Federal Government funding bill that included 1.375 Billion dollars in funding for border security from the Department of Homeland Security. This funding does not allow for the construction of a wall though it does allow for construction of other types of barriers.

The declaration of this National Emergency allows President Trump the access of Billions of Dollars in funds from the Department of Defence. He is allowed to do this under the National Emergency Act of 1976.

During the press conference that the President held in regards to the emergency he stated, “We’re going to confront the national security crisis on our southern border, and we’re going to do it one way or the other,”

When asked by reporters why he was declaring the emergency President Trump stated that, “It’s an invasion, We have an invasion of drugs and criminals coming into our country.”

These statements of a crisis at the border come as Customs and Border Protection reports that illegal border crossings are at an all time low, and that a majority of illegal immigrants in the United States arrived legally and outstayed their Visas.

In another part of the press conference President Trump exclaimed that, “I didn’t need to do this, but I’d rather do it much faster,” he said. “I just want to get it done faster, that’s all.” This led to a great deal of controversy since the National Emergency Act states that the declaration of a national emergency by the President must be justified as a last resort and an imminent threat. Many critics of the President say that this emergency does not meet this standard, and since the President said that he "Did not have to do it," it only helps his critics' case.

Soon after the declaration a lawsuit was filed in the ninth circuit court, which has been known to rule against Trump Administration policy. As of this point, the attorneys general of 16 states has joined onto the law suit.

If the Ninth Circuit rules against President Trump's national Emergency then the case would most definitely go the the court of appeals, and eventually make its way to the United States Supreme Court, where it all comes to the vote of Chief Justice John Roberts, who was appointed by former president George W. Bush. It is difficult to tell what will happen as of that point. President Trump has appointed two Justices to the court, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, and with the likely votes of Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, that gives the president four out out of the only five votes that he needs.

Whilst the President's declaration might be controversial and court challenged, it seems like he still has a vast majority of the Republicans in Congress on his side, with a notable exception in Senator Susan Collins (R - M.E.), who has said that she does not support the President's declaration.