Federal judge blocks use of billions of dollars in Pentagon funds to build border wall

Washington (CNN) A federal judge in Texas blocked the Trump administration from using billions of dollars in Pentagon funds for the construction of the border wall.

Judge David Briones of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas said Tuesday that the administration cannot use military construction funds to build additional barriers on the southern border.

The ruling is a setback for the administration, which has sought to shore up money for the President's signature campaign promise of a border wall, and marks yet another high-profile blow the courts have dealt Trump of late on key issues, including his immigration policies and his fight to not turn his tax returns over to Congress. It targets only one set of Pentagon funds, however, leaving in place the money the Supreme Court allowed to be used earlier this year.

In September, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper authorized diverting of $3.6 billion in military construction funds for 11 wall projects on the southern border with Mexico. The Pentagon said at the time that half the money was coming from deferred projects overseas, and the other half was planned for projects in the US.

The lawsuit, brought by El Paso County, Texas, and Border Network for Human Rights, argued that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority when he issued a national emergency declaration to gain access to additional funds for his border wall, despite receiving $1.375 billion from Congress.