The U.S. District Court of Rhode Island found in favor of California this week and granted a permanent injunction against the Trump administration’s efforts to impose immigration enforcement requirements on billions in transportation grants.
The final ruling follows a multistate lawsuit and a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration, finding that the administration has “blatantly overstepped their statutory authority, violated the APA and transgressed well-settle constitutional limitations on federal funding conditions. The Constitution demands the Court set aside this lawless behavior.”
“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,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “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.”
Bonta’s office said his state receives billions in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support and maintain roads, highways, railways, airways and bridges. This includes funding to maintain and build highways. It also includes funding transit systems in urban and rural communities across the state from buses, subways and light rail to commuter rail trolleys and ferries. Bonta said neither the purpose of the grants, nor their criteria are connected in any way to immigration enforcement.