Trump White House Prohibited from Using Transit Funds to Coerce States into ICE Compliance

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration violated the U.S. Constitution by attempting to link federal transportation funding to states’ cooperation with immigration enforcement. U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued a preliminary injunction affecting 20 states, which filed suit against the Department of Transportation and its secretary, Sean Duffy, in May. The court found Duffy’s actions unconstitutional.

In his 10-page ruling, McConnell emphasized that Congress did not empower the Secretary of Transportation to impose immigration enforcement requirements on transportation funding. The judge stated, “Congress appropriated those funds for transportation purposes, not immigration enforcement purposes.”

The administration’s aims were outlined in an April memo from Duffy, pressuring states to comply with federal immigration laws or risk losing essential transportation funding. The judge criticized these demands as “arbitrary and capricious,” lacking clarity on how states should cooperate with immigration enforcement.

McConnell warned that such conditions could set a dangerous precedent, enabling the executive branch to impose unrelated conditions on federal funding. He also noted that the immigration requirements would force states to compromise their authority, particularly regarding the use of local law enforcement in federal deportation efforts.

The states involved, including Illinois, California, and New York, highlighted potential harm from the administration’s actions, citing risks to community trust and ongoing transportation projects. Under McConnell’s ruling, the Department of Transportation is now prohibited from withholding funds based on states’ compliance with immigration policies.

The lawsuit against Duffy is part of a broader legal battle, as similar complaints have been filed against the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security for threatening funding tied to deportation assistance. New York has claimed it could lose hundreds of millions in emergency preparedness funding.

This ruling adds to a series of judicial reprimands aimed at the Trump administration, which has faced criticism from judges nationwide for its handling of immigration policy and executive power. Federal courts have repeatedly addressed the administration’s controversial actions, calling for adherence to constitutional due process.