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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
World
Bernadette B. Tixon

Trump-Appointed Judge Leads Ruling That US Constitution Offers No Right To Clean Water or Truthful Health-Crisis Information

United States Fifth Circuit Jackson Lawsuit Mississippi Kurt Engelhardt
A Mississippi National Guard soldier takes water to a person's car at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson, Mississippi, Sept. 1, 2022; US court rules no constitutional right to clean water, ending Jackson residents’ fight over contamination (Credit: Staff Sgt. Connie Jones, U.S. Army National Guard/WikiMedia Commons)

A federal appeals court has ruled that the US Constitution does not guarantee Americans a right to clean drinking water, dealing a final blow to Jackson, Mississippi, residents who spent four years fighting to hold the city accountable over alleged lead contamination.

The Fifth Circuit, sitting en banc, affirmed the dismissal of the lawsuit on Friday, September 4, 2026, replacing a 2025 panel decision that had revived the residents' claims. The Fifth Circuit later vacated that decision and agreed to rehear the case en banc. The ruling was authored by Judge Kurt Engelhardt, a Donald Trump appointee.

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