Texas and the National Emergency

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S. southern border. The president used authority granted by the National Emergencies Act of 1976 to direct funds toward a wall on the Mexican border. Congress has been unwilling to grant funding for such a wall. The largest part of the southern border is adjacent to Texas. It is just over 1,900 miles long.

Instructors, click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.

Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Texas and the National Emergency

Links

“Joaquin Castro files legislation to counter President Trump’s national emergency declaration”
https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/joaquin-castro-files-legislation-to-counter-president-trumps-national-emergency-declaration/

“Trump’s border national emergency plan draws outrage and legal threats from some in Texas”
https://www.texastribune.org/2019/02/14/texans-react-trumps-national-emergency-declaration-border-wall/

“Trump declares national emergency to build border wall”
http://www.fox26houston.com/news/border-wall-national-emergency-government-funding-trump

“A Texas border county and nonprofit are suing President Trump over his national emergency declaration”
http://time.com/5534282/donald-trump-national-emergency-lawsuit-texas/

“Pentagon says it will be months before construction on Trump’s border wall starts”
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/22/politics/pentagon-wall-construction/index.html

“Trump’s “national emergency” will destroy Texas communities and resources”
https://www.aclutx.org/en/news/trumps-national-emergency-will-destroy-texas-communities-and-resources

“Texas senator: Border wall isn’t ‘fake emergency’ and U.S. needs to move forward”
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article226507555.html

“My backyard is on the Texas-Mexico border. Trump wants to seize my land to build his wall”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2019/02/22/donald-trump-border-wall-national-emergency-suing-over-column/2927426002/

“Trump’s wall: Securing his base or splitting it?”
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/431277-trumps-wall-securing-his-base-or-splitting-it

“Trump’s ‘national emergency’ plan reveals real crisis in America”
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Trump-s-national-emergency-plan-reveals-13618297.php

Assessment

Writing: Why has President Trump declared a national emergency?
Debate: Migration on the southern border does not justify a national emergency declaration.
Poll: Do you think Texas land owners should prevail in their lawsuit against the federal government regarding the border wall?
Short Answer: Why does Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick believe there is a crisis on the southern border?

Current events quiz:

1) This member of the Texas congressional delegation has been vocal in his opinion that the border wall is necessary and that President Trump was justified in declaring a national emergency.

a. John Cornyn
b. Dan Patrick
c. Beto O’Rourke
d. Dan Crenshaw

2) This member of Congress from Texas filed legislation to counter the president’s national emergency declaration.

a. Beto O’Rourke
b. Seth Moulton
c. Joaquin Castro
d. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

3) This Texas interest group has already filed a lawsuit against President Trump over the national emergency situation.

a. The Texas Democrats
b. The ACLU of Texas
c. The NRA of Houston
d. Immigration Rights Advocates of Dallas

4) Nearly all Republicans in Congress agree that the border wall funding was necessary and Trump made the right decision in declaring a national emergency. (T/F)

5) Since Trump declared a national emergency, construction on the border wall is set to begin immediately. (T/F)

6) One Texan who was interviewed by USA Today said that she has never once seen an illegal immigrant crossing the border area behind her house, so she does not understand why her land must be affected by the border wall construction. (T/F)