Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued the following statement in response to information that President Donald Trump intends to declare a state of emergency in order to build his border wall:

“I’m disappointed, but not surprised, to see the president is once again exceeding his authority in violation of the Constitution. My legal team has been reviewing this issue for some time. In short, declaring a state of ‘emergency’ to build his wall is unlawful. We are working with members of our congressional delegation to determine if this action depletes federal funds flowing to Washington. If Washington is harmed, my office will take appropriate steps to block this unlawful action, just as we’ve blocked more than a dozen illegal and unconstitutional policies of this president.”

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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

Contacts:

Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; Brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov

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