New York Attorney General Letitia James today welcomed federal court action in a lawsuit filed by her and other state attorneys general that blocks the Trump Administration from withholding billions of dollars in transportation funding unless states cooperate with the administration’s immigration enforcement actions.
“This is a major win for New York and every state fighting to protect our immigrant communities,” James said. “This decision to block these unlawful conditions makes clear that states cannot be forced to choose between keeping their residents safe and carrying out a cruel and dangerous immigration agenda. With this ruling, we are one step closer to ensuring our roads, airports, and transit systems get the support they need without illegal strings attached.”
James and 19 other attorneys general on May 13 filed a lawsuit that argued that tying federal transportation funds to immigration enforcement violates the constitutional separation of powers. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted the coalition’s request for a preliminary injunction and prohibited the administration from withholding critical transportation funding from states based on immigration policy.
On April 24, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Department of Transportation would cut off funding to any state that refuses to comply with the administration’s immigration agenda.
James and the other attorneys general had pointed out that for over a century, Congress has provided federal funding to states to develop and maintain safe, reliable, and effective transportation infrastructure. Each year, state and local governments receive over $100 billion to build and maintain roads, highways, railways, airways, and bridges that connect communities and help residents travel to work and home. All of this funding is congressionally allocated, with no statutory immigration enforcement conditions attached.
Among the programs at risk due to the Trump Administration’s effort to make funding contingent on immigration enforcement cooperation were:
* Federal-Aid Highway Program, which allocates over $100 billion annually for highway maintenance, safety improvements, and bridge repairs;
* Federal Transit Administration’s grant programs, which sustain public transit systems that millions of Americans rely on;
* Federal Railroad Administration’s Rail Crossing Elimination Grant Program, which funds crucial safety upgrades to prevent accidents and fatalities; and
* Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, which finances safety enhancements and infrastructure expansions at airports nationwide.
New York receives more than $5 billion annually in DOT funding, including $2.8 billion in federal highway funds, $2.3 billion in public transportation funding, $215 million in rail improvement funding, $18.8 million in highway safety funding, and $8.7 million in airport improvement funding.
