Judge suggests he has jurisdiction on wall lawsuit
SAN DIEGO — A judge who was criticized by Donald Trump during the presidential campaign indicates he is inclined to conclude he can decide a lawsuit that challenges the president’s proposed border wall with Mexico but gave no indication how he will finally rule.
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel said Friday he was leaning toward deciding he has jurisdiction in a lawsuit that alleges the Trump administration overreached in waiving dozens of laws that require environmental and other reviews. The administration argues he doesn’t have jurisdiction.
Curiel asked the administration and wall opponents for additional briefings by the end of Tuesday. He said he planned to decide within days after that whether to dismiss the lawsuit by the state of California and environmental advocates or let it proceed, but he cautioned that “there’s a lot of work here.”
Meanwhile, federal authorities posted a notice to contractors that they intend to award a contract in May for 3 miles of a segment of border wall in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley.
The notice posted on a government website said the contract probably would be for 3 miles of wall built on existing river levees along the Rio Grande, which forms the U.S.Mexico border in Texas.
The contract would be worth between $25 million and $100 million, but the notice said that any contract is still contingent on Congress.
Wall opponents said that they believe the notice refers to the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. Border Patrol officials have publicly said they would try to start wall construction in Santa Ana because it’s already government property.