A coalition of 16 states that often includes Massachusetts filed a federal lawsuit in California Monday challenging President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency in order to divert funds toward building border walls.
But this time, Massachusetts was not part of the lawsuit.
Attorney General Maura Healey's office said Tuesday that it has been in touch with the group and is "evaluating" impacts that Trump's declaration would have on Massachusetts.
"Declaring a national emergency to build a wall repeatedly rejected by Congress is an illegal power grab by President Trump and a violation of the constitutional separation of powers. My team has been in contact with the multistate group and is working to determine the full scope and impact on Massachusetts so that, if and when we challenge the Administration’s actions, we bring the strongest possible case," Healey said in a statement to the News Service.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra led the coalition in filing a suit that seeks to block the emergency declaration, the construction of a wall along the southern U.S. border and any diversion of funds appropriated by Congress for other purposes to the wall.
California was joined in the lawsuit by attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia.
The participating states argue that Trump has exceeded his constitutional authority to divert funds otherwise appropriated by Congress, and that he has used a "hyped crisis" as justification for a national emergency that is not supported by fact.
"Unlawful southern border entries are at their lowest point in 20 years, immigrants are less likely than native-born citizens to commit crimes, and illegal drugs are more likely to come through official ports of entry. There is no credible evidence to suggest that a border wall would decrease crime rates," officials from California said in a press release.
Healey in the past has helped challenge the Trump's administration's immigration policies, including the separation of children from families crossing the border.
