The Washington Times: A federal court cleared the way Tuesday for President Trump to build his border wall, ruling that the administration has the power to waive a series of environmental laws to speed up construction.
The state of California and environmental groups had been counting on the lawsuit to derail the border wall and called the decision disappointing.
The ruling is a major boost for the president and is all the more striking because it comes from Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, whom Mr. Trump famously called biased during the 2016 presidential campaign because of his Mexican heritage.
Judge Curiel said he wasn’t opining on whether a wall was good or bad policy but had to conclude that the government has the power to build it.
“It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices,” he wrote in a 101-page ruling.
His decision does not ease fights over land rights, which could delay some construction in areas such as Texas, where much of the border is on private property.
