The Trump administration was barred by a court from diverting $89 million to build the Mexico border wall from a construction project at a submarine base in Washington state.
Thursday’s ruling by a federal judge in Seattle is the latest setback to President Donald Trump’s multibillion-dollar plan to bolster barriers along the U.S. southern border.
The funds at issue were earmarked for construction of a pier at the Bangor naval base, home to the Pacific Fleet’s Trident ballistic subs. It’s one of 127 congressionally-approved military projects totaling $3.6 billion that the administration planned to defund to pay for 11 border wall projects, according to the lawsuit filed by Washington state.
”It is difficult for this court to imagine much, if anything, that could be more important to the state of Washington than that the nuclear-powered submarines carrying nuclear warheads are secure when traveling through its waters,” U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein wrote in her decision.
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he looks forward to “this $89 million being used the way Congress intended -- to support a military construction project in Washington state.”
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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