BORDER/CALIFORNIA/DHS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel has cleared one potential obstacle to President Donald Trump’s long-promised border wall, ruling Tuesday [2-27-18] that the administration has the authority to waive a host of environmental laws and other regulations to begin construction.
Curiel’s 100-page order does not mean construction of the wall will begin immediately. Congress has yet to authorize or provide funding for any new wall to begin the project. Thus far, the Department of Homeland Security has built several prototypes in San Diego — which was the focus of the lawsuit Curiel rejected.
Still, the ruling is a win for the administration as it seeks to get money to build its wall, a centerpiece of Trump’s campaign…
The groups had challenged DHS’ move to expedite construction of the prototypes and replacement fencing in San Diego on a number of grounds. The collection of lawsuits from the environmental advocacy organizations and the state of California argued that the Trump administration’s waiver wasn’t allowed by the law that created the overarching authority and that the authority itself violated the Constitution.”
-Tal Kopan, “Judge Curiel, once attacked by Trump, rules border wall can proceed,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Feb. 28, 2018 06:33am