The federal judge whom President Trump once disparaged as “Mexican” ruled in favor of his administration’s efforts to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel in San Diego on Tuesday sided with the Homeland Security Department, which leaned on waivers granted by Congress in 1996 and 2005 to bypass state and federal environmental statutes for construction along 14 miles of the border.
In his ruling, Curiel quoted U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in his handling of cases “surrounded by political disagreement.”
“In its review of this case, the Court cannot and does not consider whether underlying decisions to construct the border barriers are politically wise or prudent,” Curiel wrote.
Now, the Trump administration can continue waiving environmental regulations to build the border wall.
Plaintiffs in the case included the Center for Biological Diversity, the California Coastal Commission, and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
“We will evaluate all of our options and are prepared to do what is necessary to protect our people, our values, and our economy from federal overreach. A medieval wall along the U.S.-Mexico border simply does not belong in the 21st century,” Becerra said in a statement in response to the ruling.
The Justice Department praised the ruling.
“Border security is paramount to stemming the flow of illegal immigration that contributes to rising violent crime and to the drug crisis, and undermines national security,” said department spokesman Devin O’Malley. “Congress gave authority to the Department of Homeland Security to construct a border wall without delay to prevent illegal entry into the United States, and we are pleased DHS can continue this important work vital to our nation’s interests.”
Curiel presided over a class-action lawsuit against the now-defunct Trump University. During the 2016 campaign, Trump attacked Curiel, calling him a “Mexican” — Curiel was born in Indiana, but his parents are Mexican immigrants — who said he was a “hater.”
“Look, he’s proud of his heritage, okay? I’m building a wall,” Trump said of Curiel in June 2016 to CNN’s Jake Tapper. “He’s a Mexican. We’re building a wall between here and Mexico.”
