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Michigan joins lawsuit against Trump over emergency wall declaration

Sixteen states joined the lawsuit, which was filed Monday.

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is joining 15 other states who are suing President Donald Trump over his emergency declaration to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. 

California's attorney general Xavier Becerra filed the lawsuit Monday. 

"President Trump treats the rule of law with utter contempt," Becerra said. "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." 

The 16 states are opposing the president's declaration to “protect revenue, natural resources and economic interests” from Trump’s “flagrant disregard of fundamental separation of powers.” 

Nessel echoed Becerra's statement regarding the lawsuit. 

"This fake emergency is a publicity stunt that will raid our federal funding and cost us millions,” said Nessel. “We cannot in good conscience stand by while our president seeks to undermine our own efforts to keep our residents safe and our military strong.”

Trump declared a national emergency on Friday to fulfill his promise of completing the wall. He announced that he plans to spend roughly $8 billion on border barriers — combining the money approved by Congress with funding he plans to repurpose through executive actions, including the national emergency. The money would come from funds targeted for counterdrug efforts and military construction.

In her statement, Nessel stated that the Michigan National Guard has more than 10,000 soldiers and airmen and a substantial number of employees statewide. She also said the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs receives a majority of its funding from the federal government. 

"Loss of funding negatively impacts this vital service for the State of Michigan," said Nessel.

At Friday's announcement, Trump said he expected to be sued over the declaration and it would work its way through the courts, including up to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

He said, "Sadly, we'll be sued and sadly it will go through a process and happily we'll win, I think." 

The attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia joined in the lawsuit

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting. 

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