Judge questioned by Trump gives go-ahead to border wall
A US judge, who President Donald Trump criticized due to his Hispanic origins, has rejected a legal challenge to the construction of a wall along borders with Mexico.
On Tuesday, Gonzalo Curiel ruled in favor of Trump’s planned wall, but said his decision was separate from the underlying issue of whether or not the wall should be erected.
"Court is aware that the subject of these lawsuits, border barriers, is currently the subject of heated political debate in and between the United States and the Republic of Mexico as to the need, efficacy and the source of funding for such barriers," he wrote.
"In its review of this case, the Court cannot and does not consider whether underlying decisions to construct the border barriers are politically wise or prudent."
In response, the president took to Twitter, laballing the order a vicotry.
Big legal win today. U.S. judge sided with the Trump Administration and rejected the attempt to stop the government from building a great Border Wall on the Southern Border. Now this important project can go forward!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2018
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said Curiel's Mexican heritage should disqualify him from ruling on a fraud lawsuit pertaining to the now-defunct Trump University.
"He's a Mexican," Trump said of Curiel, who was born and raised in the United States. "We're building a wall between here and Mexico."
"I have a Mexican judge. He's of Mexican heritage. He should have recused himself, not only for that, for other things," Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly said that Mexico will pay for the wall, the cost of which could run into the tens of billions of dollars.
Earlier this year, Democratic members of the US Senate withdrew an offer to fund the construction project, angering the president who later said there would be no deal to help young undocumented immigrants unless the fund was provided.
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