Judge halts plan to build parts of border wall

Updated: 2019-05-25 10:13

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US soldiers walk next to the border fence between Mexico and the United States, as migrants are seen walking behind the fence, after crossing illegally into the US to turn themselves in, in El Paso, Texas, US, in this picture taken from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, April 3, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]

SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge in California has blocked President Donald Trump from building sections of his long-sought border wall with money secured under his declaration of a national emergency.

US District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. on Friday immediately halted the administration's efforts to redirect military-designated funds to build sections of wall on the Mexican border. His order applies to two planned projects to add 51 miles of fence in two areas.

Gilliam issued the ruling after hearing arguments last week in two cases. California and 19 other states brought one lawsuit; the Sierra Club and a coalition of communities along the border brought the other.

A child looks through the border wall during the visit of US President Donald Trump to Calexico, California, as seen in Mexicali, Mexico April 5, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]

At stake is billions of dollars that would allow Trump to make progress on a signature campaign promise heading into his campaign for a second term.

A federal judge is expected to decide Friday whether to block the White House from spending billions of dollars to build a wall on the Mexican border with money secured under President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency.

The judge is weighing two cases that challenged the maneuver to redirect mostly military-designated funding for wall construction.

California and 19 other states, along with environmentalists, civil liberties groups and communities along the border, are seeking a temporary injunction to halt construction plans.

At stake is billions of dollars that Trump wants for the wall, his signature campaign promise, heading into his campaign for a second term. He declared the emergency in February after losing a fight over fully paying for it that led to a 35-day government shutdown.