Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Attempt to Tie State Transportation Funding to Immigration Enforcement
Key Takeaways
- U.S. District Judge John McConnell ruled that USDOT’s funding conditions tied to immigration enforcement are unconstitutional.
- The decision protects billions in federal infrastructure funding, including $5 billion for EV charger development.
- The case reaffirms that Congress, not federal agencies, controls spending authority for transportation programs.
A federal judge in Rhode Island has ruled that the Trump Administration’s attempt to condition state transportation funding on compliance with immigration enforcement is unconstitutional, striking down a policy that threatened billions in infrastructure dollars nationwide.
According to Politico, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) issued a notice in April stating that federal funds — already approved by U.S. Congress — for road, bridge, and transportation projects could be withheld from states that failed to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Court Finds DOT Overstepped Its Authority
In a 32-page decision issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John McConnell wrote that the transportation department “blatantly overstepped their statutory authority” in attempting to link immigration enforcement with transportation funding, Courthouse News reported.
One of the projects at risk included $5 billion in federal funding for electric vehicle chargers, which McConnell had previously ordered the administration to unfreeze in June, according to Politico.
The ruling underscores that federal agencies cannot impose new funding conditions that go beyond what Congress has explicitly authorized, a key principle in the ongoing debate over federal infrastructure and grant oversight.
Background on the Case
A coalition of Democratic-led states filed suit in May, following a letter from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in April announcing the new funding policy.
On June 19, McConnell issued a preliminary injunction blocking the USDOT’s guidance — one day before the grant application deadline — effectively pausing enforcement while the case proceeded, Politico reported.
In its defense, the Trump administration argued that it has the authority to set funding conditions if it “reasonably determines” those conditions further federal objectives, Courthouse News reported.
However, McConnell’s ruling concludes that the transportation department’s attempt to link immigration policy to highway funding lacked a statutory basis and violated constitutional limits on executive power.
Sources: Politico, Courthouse News