Attorney General Becerra Secures Preliminary Injunction in Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration Over Failure to Protect California’s Ecosystems

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today issued the following statement in response to a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California to grant a preliminary injunction in the State’s lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful expansion of water export operations in the Central Valley.  

“We applaud the court for hitting pause on the Trump Administration’s reckless attempt to expand water export operations at the expense of California’s wildlife and habitats,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Today’s victory is critical, but the fight is not over. We have the facts, science, and the law behind us, and we look forward to making our case in court.”

Attorney General Becerra, the California Natural Resources Agency, and the California Environmental Protection Agency, filed a lawsuit on February 20, 2020, challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to adopt scientifically deficient biological opinions that enable additional water exports from the San Joaquin Delta without providing adequate safeguards for endangered species. On April 21, 2020, Attorney General Becerra amended the complaint and filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing that export operations would cause imminent and irreparable harm to species protected under the California Endangered Species Act and the federal Endangered Species Act.

A copy of the decision can be found here.