Neronha Won’t Commit to Joining 16-State Lawsuit to Block Trump’s Emergency Declaration

Neronha Won’t Commit to Joining 16-State Lawsuit to Block Trump’s Emergency Declaration

To date, sixteen states have joined together to file a federal lawsuit trying to block President Donald Trump's emergency declaration to fund the building a wall on America's southern border.

“The complaint, filed in California’s Northern District, seeks judicial intervention to stop the order and accuses Mr. Trump of “flagrant disregard for the separation of powers.” The suit claims that the president’s move undermined Congress by redirecting federal money—some of which was intended for states—toward the wall, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Rhode Island has not joined the lawsuit.

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California led the lawsuit and the other states are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia—“all of which have Democratic attorneys general and all but one of which are led by Democratic governors,” cited the WSJ.

Rhode Island’s Attorney General, Democrat Peter Neronha, however, won’t commit to whether he will take legal action against the declaration by Trump.

Neronha on Record

Neronha worked under President Trump as U.S. Attorney for just two months. Then-United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions dismissed Neronha and approximately 40 other appointees of President Barack Obama. 

“The President’s declaration of a national emergency at the southern border and, in particular, the manner in which the President made that declaration, raises significant concerns. We are following the litigation brought by Attorneys General in certain other states closely and evaluating the declaration’s potential impact on Rhode Island to determine the most appropriate course of action, and the timing for such action,” said Neronha in a statement to GoLocal.

“Certainly, if that evaluation demonstrates a material impact on Rhode Island in terms of allocation of federal resources, I will not hesitate to take immediate steps to protect Rhode Island’s interests,” said Neronha.

When asked for clarification, Neronha’s office said, “We are evaluating.”

“President Trump treats the rule of law with utter contempt. He knows there is no border crisis, he knows his emergency declaration is unwarranted, and he admits that he will likely lose this case in court. He is willing to manipulate the Office of the Presidency to engage in unconstitutional theatre performed to convince his audience that he is committed to his ‘beautiful’ border wall,” said California Attorney General  Xavier Becerra. “Today, on Presidents Day, we take President Trump to court to block his misuse of presidential power. We’re suing President Trump to stop him from unilaterally robbing taxpayer funds lawfully set aside by Congress for the people of our states. For most of us, the Office of the Presidency is not a place for theatre.”