Stephanie SandovalA federal appeals court panel ruled Friday the Trump administration does not have the authority to transfer military funding to pay for a border wall.
A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 that transferring funds appropriated for the military is unlawful. It also said since Congress approved the $2.5 billion for the military, spending it elsewhere would violate the Constitution's Appropriations Clause.
The panel upheld a ruling by a federal judge in California that said moving the money was illegal.
The American Civil Liberties Union applauded Friday's ruling. It said: "There's no undoing the damage that's been done, but we will be back before the Supreme Court to finally put a stop to this destructive wall."
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border last year in order to use Pentagon money after Congress refused to fund the wall.
Contains footage from CNN.
