Congress’ Nonpartisan Research Arm Says Trump Could Build the Wall Without State of Emergency or Funding

A construction crew installs new sections of the U.S.-Mexico border barrier as seen from Tijuana, Mexico on Jan. 11, 2019. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a paper internally that suggests President Donald Trump may have the authority to use Department of Defense resources to build a wall without obtaining congressional approval or declaring a state of emergency.