The Trump administration is trying to persuade a federal judge that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's attempt to shut down part of an aging pipeline interferes with U.S. foreign policy. Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline has moved crude oil between Wisconsin and Canada for 72 years. A portion of the line passes beneath the Straits of Mackinac. Michigan regulators under Whitmer's direction revoked the segment's easement in 2020 out of concerns the line could rupture. Enbridge filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the revocation. U.S. Justice Department attorneys filed a brief in the case Sept. 12 arguing that Michigan is improperly interfering with U.S. foreign policy.
