Lauren Lantry, lauren.lantry@sierraclub.org
Oakland, CA-- Today, after hearing arguments from declarentes from the Sierra Club, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC)’s over their preliminary injunction motion on their challenge of Trump’s emergency declaration lawsuit, a federal judge declined to make a decision on the injunction. The preliminary injunction is a part of the group’s challenge of the president’s national emergency and blocks the administration’s initial transfer of over a billion dollars from the Pentagon for border wall construction.
“We are hopeful that today’s hearing stressed what is truly at stake with Trump’s border wall-- the endangerment of communities and destruction of our environment,” said Gloria Smith, Managing Attorney at the Sierra Club. “The Sierra Club is committed to fighting this illegal national emergency every step of the way. We know walls divide neighborhoods, worsen dangerous flooding, destroy lands and wildlife, and waste resources that should instead be used on the infrastructure these communities truly need.”
"It was striking to hear the government claim out loud in court that Congress never denied Trump funding for his wall. That is patently wrong, and we're hopeful that our clients will prevail," said ACLU staff attorney Dror Ladin.
“The environmental and social impacts of these new barriers would be devastating. Endangered species like the Sonoran pronghorn, Mexican gray wolf, and jaguar would be harmed by these walls and some could disappear from the United States. Precious places such as Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument would be decimated by an enormous eyesore,” said Dan Millis of the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter Borderlands Program. “Walls don’t solve problems. They cause flooding and sabotage wildlife protection efforts. We cannot allow Trump’s xenophobic, backward agenda to go any farther. We need to stop more dollars from going to these walls. The damage will be irreversible.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.