More than 50 former national security officials tell Trump that his national emergency is not warranted

WASHINGTON – Fifty-eight former US national security officials said Monday in a letter to the Trump administration that they knew "no urgency justifying remotely" to divert funds for the construction of A border wall.

Officials, who served in the Democratic and Republican administrations, include former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, a member of the Clinton Administration, and former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, a Republican who has served in the Senate and the Obama administration.

Leon Panetta, former Secretary of Defense and Director of the CIA; Gil Kerlikowske, former Head of Customs and Border Protection; John Kerry, former Secretary of State; and Nick Rasmussen, former director of the National Counter Terrorism Center.

Click here to read the letter

The letter, according to its authors, is a statement intended to be used in legal proceedings against President Donald Trump's decision, on Feb. 15, to reallocate $ 8 billion in federal funds to begin construction of new buildings. a barrier along the southern border. The Trump announcement fulfilled the campaign promise of building a wall to block illegal immigrants after Congress offered less than $ 2 billion in federal funding after months of negotiations.

The authorities verify that the base declared by Trump to declare a national emergency is close to the threshold crossed by more than 40 years of illegal borders, the absence of documented terrorist threat, human trafficking and drugs will not be affected by a border wall, no violence. criminal threat posed by immigrants.

A study by the Cato Institute found that undocumented immigrants in Texas were 44% less likely to be incarcerated than native-born citizens, the letter said.

Not only is the national emergency not justified, but it could also harm American interests, said the authors.

"In the face of a non-existent threat, reallocating funds for the construction of a wall along the southern border will undermine national security by unnecessarily withdrawing resources from the Department of Defense's programs to maintain our troops and our country. safely, "said the former officials.

The national emergency and other unilateral actions aimed at blocking immigrants from the south could also stretch diplomatic relations in the Western Hemisphere at a time when the United States should tackle the problems of the region, such as political unrest in Venezuela, according to the authors.

In addition to reallocating funds to the border wall, the Trump administration has also begun sending asylum seekers back to Mexico, where they have to wait months or years before they can decide if they can to take refuge in the United States. Another measure, blocked by federal courts, aimed to block the asylum rights of immigrants crossing the border between two legal entry points.

The authors stated that their concerns also extend to the world stage.

"If a real foreign crisis erupts, this lack of credibility would significantly weaken the ability of this administration to mobilize allies to support the United States and encourage opponents to oppose us," the letter said.

Julia Ainsley

Julia Ainsley is a national security reporter for NBC News.