Federal judge rules federal transportation funds cannot be withheld from states over immigration

A federal judge ruled that federal transportation funds cannot be withheld from states over immigration policies.

Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island, an Obama appointee, ruled Tuesday that the Department of Transportation and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy “blatantly overstepped” their authority in attempting to link infrastructure funding to immigration enforcement demands, POLITICO reported.

“The Constitution demands the Court set aside this lawless behavior,” McConnell wrote.

California led 20 states in the lawsuit filed in May after Duffy wrote a letter on the Trump administration’s expectations for cooperation with immigration officials. In June, McConnell issued a preliminary injunction blocking the directive.

“If President Trump wants to stop losing in court, he should stop breaking the law,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said in a statement Tuesday. “The courts have repeatedly and firmly rejected the Trump Administration’s efforts to infringe on states’ constitutional right to set their own policy priorities.”

After issuing the letter, Duffy said in April that federal grants “come with a clear obligation to adhere to federal laws.”