A federal court has issued a permanent injunction blocking the Trump Administration from attaching immigration enforcement conditions to U.S. Department of Transportation grants. The decision, secured by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other states, prevents the federal government from requiring states to comply with certain immigration policies in order to receive billions of dollars in transportation funding.
The ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island follows earlier multistate litigation and a preliminary injunction against the policy. In its decision, the court stated that the administration had “blatantly overstepped their statutory authority, violated the APA, and transgressed well-settled constitutional limitations on federal funding conditions. The Constitution demands the Court set aside this lawless behavior.”
Attorney General Bonta commented on the outcome: “If President Trump wants to stop losing in court, he should stop breaking the law. The courts have repeatedly and firmly rejected the Trump Administration’s efforts to infringe on states’ constitutional right to set their own policy priorities,” said Bonta. “California will not be a pawn in the President’s political games. We will not be bullied into doing the Trump Administration’s bidding. I’m grateful to the court for putting a stop to this nonsense and ensuring we are able to continue to receive vital transportation dollars that support our public infrastructure and keep our roads safe.”
California relies on federal transportation grants for maintenance and development of highways, roads, bridges, railways, airways, and transit systems throughout both urban and rural areas of the state. These funds support projects such as buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys, and ferries. According to state officials, these grant programs do not include any requirements related to immigration enforcement.
A copy of the court’s decision is available online.
