**Trump Declares New National Emergency to Bypass Congress on Border Wall Funding**
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on Friday to bypass Congress and secure funding for his long-promised border wall, a move that is likely to face legal challenges and could further escalate tensions with Mexico.
The declaration, which Trump signed in the Oval Office, will allow the administration to redirect billions of dollars from other government accounts to pay for the wall, which has been a central plank of Trump’s immigration agenda but has been repeatedly blocked by Congress.
**Emergency Powers**
Trump invoked a 1976 law that gives the president broad authority to declare a national emergency and take extraordinary measures to address it. The law has been used by presidents in the past to respond to natural disasters and other crises, but it has never been used to justify the construction of a border wall.
The Trump administration argues that the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border constitutes a national emergency because of the flow of illegal drugs and undocumented immigrants. However, critics say that the declaration is a gross exaggeration and that the president is abusing his emergency powers.
**Legal Challenges**
The declaration is likely to face legal challenges from both Congress and states that oppose the border wall. Critics argue that the declaration is unconstitutional because it violates the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government.
Congress has the power to appropriate funds, and the president cannot unilaterally redirect money from other government accounts without congressional approval. Additionally, the declaration is likely to be challenged on the grounds that it is not based on a genuine national emergency.
**Reaction from Mexico**
The declaration has been met with strong criticism from Mexico, which has repeatedly stated that it will not pay for the wall. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that the declaration was .
