# National Emergency to Fund the Border Wall

> Declared a national emergency at the southern border to redirect roughly $6 — 8 billion — including billions appropriated by Congress for the military.

Donald Trump · Immigration · Proclamation / National Emergency · Feb 15, 2019
Official record: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/border-wall-emergency-declaration-litigation

## What happened

Declared a national emergency at the southern border to redirect roughly $6–8 billion — including billions appropriated by Congress for the military — to border-wall construction after Congress declined to fund it, following the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

## How it happened

Presidential proclamation invoking the National Emergencies Act to divert Defense and Treasury funds.

## Documented impact

- [negative / substantiated] Diverted military funds in a way courts found unconstitutional. — About $2.5B in DoD counter-drug funds and $3.6B in military-construction funds were redirected; in 2020 the Ninth Circuit ruled the reallocation violated the separation of powers.
- [mixed / substantiated] The Supreme Court allowed construction to proceed during litigation. — In a 5-4 stay (July 2019) the Court let building continue; hundreds of miles of barrier were ultimately replaced or newly built.
- [positive / contested] Supporters said it delivered on border security Congress wouldn't fund. — The administration argued the emergency was justified by border crossings and drug flows.

## Sources

- [Brennan Center: border wall emergency litigation](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/border-wall-emergency-declaration-litigation)
- [NPR: Supreme Court lets wall move forward](https://www.npr.org/2019/07/26/745785115/supreme-court-lets-trump-border-wall-move-forward-but-legal-fight-still-looms)

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Canonical: https://eo.alanwizemann.com/eo/trump/national-emergency-to-fund-the-border-wall