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In the face of several lawsuits challenging Trump's power to declare a national emergency to reallocate billions of dollars to a border wall, the White House plans to tap into the Department of Defense's drug program first and foremost. Asset confiscation funds from the Treasury Department before diverting military resources. construction fund, said the manager.
Unlike the first two pots of money, these are only accessible through a national emergency declaration, which is currently the subject of several lawsuits.
Although the administration has not yet been prevented from accessing these funds, the White House is preparing for the possibility that a federal court may issue an injunction on the access to military construction funds as a result of the prosecution.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.
Former presidents declared situations of national urgency, but they largely focused on non-controversial issues and not on Congress's rejection of the president's request for specific funds.
Trump told reporters Tuesday that he believed he had a solid legal base while he reacted to the news of ongoing lawsuits.
"I think we'll do very well, we have the absolute right to do it," said Trump. "We need strong borders, we need to stop drugs and crime and criminals and human trafficking and we must stop all the things that a strong wall will stop."
He added that his administration "was already working with the Corps of Engineers of the Army" as he advanced in his plans to build additional barriers to the southern border.
Funds from the Treasury Department and the Defense Department would be transferred to the Army Corps to pay for the construction of the wall, a separate source told the process.
White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney announced on Friday that he was planning to mobilize $ 2.5 billion from the Pentagon's detox program (some of which would be reprogrammed from other accounts), $ 600 million. USD of the treasury asset confiscation fund and 3.6 billion USD of military construction projects. .
This is in addition to the congressional allocation of $ 1.375 billion to the construction of additional barriers to the southern border, considered by Trump to be inadequate.
A senior White House official said White House lawyer Pat Cipillone will consult with the Justice Department on how to respond to the prosecution, but that the Justice Department will lead the proceedings. The White House has anticipated the prosecution of Trump 's emergency declaration and is preparing others, according to the official.
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