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Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Federal judge says Trump can't tie state funding to immigration enforcement
A US judge on Thursday stopped the Trump administration from forcing 20 Democratic-led states to help with immigration enforcement in order to receive federal transportation grants. Chief US District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island ruled that the US Department of Transportation cannot require states to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) to get billions in funding. The judge said this condition violated the US Constitution. 'Congress did not authorize or give authority to the Secretary of Transportation to impose immigration enforcement conditions on federal dollars meant for transportation,' McConnell wrote in his ruling. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo The judge added that the administration failed to show any logical link between cooperating with ICE and the purpose of the transportation grants, which are meant for highways, bridges, and other public works. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The 20 states, along with local governments, had sued after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned them they could lose funding if they did not help enforce federal immigration law. Duffy's April 24 notice told states they must support ICE or risk losing money for road and bridge projects. Live Events RECOMMENDED STORIES FOR YOU 'Any illegal immigrants?' Trump asks White House workers about deportation status Trump shifts immigration enforcement to US cities after farm sector backlash America's immigration mess shows it failing as a nation of laws McConnell's ruling blocks the policy while the lawsuit continues. The Trump administration had defended its policy as part of its broad crackdown on sanctuary cities and states that refuse to help with immigration arrests. Since returning to office in January, Trump has signed several executive orders calling for cuts to funding for jurisdictions that do not assist ICE. California Attorney General Rob Bonta welcomed the judge's decision. 'Trump was treating these funds — money for roads and public safety — as a bargaining chip,' Bonta said. The states also have another case in Rhode Island challenging similar conditions the Homeland Security Department placed on other grant programs. The Trump administration has not yet commented on the ruling.
NBC News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Judge blocks Trump plan to tie states' transportation funds to immigration enforcement
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from forcing 20 Democratic-led states to cooperate with immigration enforcement in order to receive billions of dollars in transportation grant funding. Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island ruled that the U.S. Department of Transportation lacked authority to require the states to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to obtain transportation funding and that the condition violated the U.S. Constitution. McConnell said the administration provided no plausible connection between cooperating with immigration enforcement and the purposes Congress intended for the funding, which is to support highways, bridges and other transportation projects. 'Congress did not authorize or grant authority to the Secretary of Transportation to impose immigration enforcement conditions on federal dollars specifically appropriated for transportation purposes,' McConnell wrote. The judge, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, issued a preliminary injunction preventing such a condition from being enforced against the 20 states that sued along with their government subdivisions, like cities. The Trump administration did not respond to a request for comment. It has argued the policy was within the department's discretion. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by a group of Democratic state attorneys general who argued the administration was seeking to unlawfully hold federal funds hostage to coerce them into adhering to the Republican president's hardline immigration agenda. They sued after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on April 24 notified states they could lose transportation funding if they do not cooperate with the enforcement of federal law, including with ICE in its efforts to enforce immigration law. Since returning to office on January 20, Trump has signed several executive orders that have called for cutting off federal funding to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that do not cooperate with ICE, as his administration has moved to conduct mass deportations. Sanctuary jurisdictions generally have laws and policies that limit or prevent local law enforcement from assisting federal officers with civil immigration arrests. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in a statement, hailed McConnell's ruling, saying Trump had been 'treating these funds — funds that go toward improving our roads and keeping our planes in the air — as a bargaining chip.' The 20 states are separately pursuing a similar case also in Rhode Island, challenging new immigration enforcement conditions the Homeland Security Department imposed on grant programs.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
US judge blocks Trump plan to tie states' transportation funds to immigration enforcement
US President Donald Trump has signed executive orders calling for cutting off federal funding to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that do not cooperate with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. PHOTO: REUTERS A federal judge on June 19 blocked President Donald Trump's administration from forcing 20 Democratic-led states to cooperate with immigration enforcement in order to receive billions of dollars in transportation grant funding. Chief US District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island granted the states' request for an injunction barring the Department of Transportation's policy, saying the states were likely to succeed on the merits of some or all of their claims. The Trump administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by a group of Democratic state attorneys general who argued the administration was seeking to unlawfully hold federal funds hostage to coerce them into adhering to Mr Trump's hardline immigration agenda. The states argued that US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy lacked the authority to impose immigration-enforcement conditions on funding that Congress appropriated to help states sustain roads, highways, bridges and other transportation projects. Since returning to office on Jan 20, Mr Trump has signed several executive orders that have called for cutting off federal funding to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that do not cooperate with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as his administration has moved to conduct mass deportations. Sanctuary jurisdictions generally have laws and policies that limit or prevent local law enforcement from assisting federal officers with civil immigration arrests. The Justice Department has filed a series of lawsuits against such jurisdictions, including Illinois, New York and Colorado, challenging laws in those Democratic-led states that it says hinder federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit before Judge McConnell, who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama, was filed after Mr Duffy on April 24 notified states they could lose transportation funding if they do not cooperate with the enforcement of federal law, including with ICE in its efforts to enforce immigration law. The states argue that policy is improper and amounts to an unconstitutionally ambiguous condition on the states' ability to receive funding authorised by Congress as it leaves unclear what exactly would constitute adequate cooperation. The administration has argued the policy was within Mr Duffy's discretion and that conditions should be upheld as there is nothing improper about requiring states to comply with federal law. The 20 states are separately pursuing a similar case also in Rhode Island challenging new immigration enforcement conditions that the Homeland Security Department imposed on grant programs. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNBC
11 hours ago
- Politics
- CNBC
US judge blocks Trump plan to tie states' transportation funds to immigration enforcement
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from forcing 20 Democratic-led states to cooperate with immigration enforcement in order to receive billions of dollars in transportation grant funding, according to a court filing.
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Chicago braces for added ICE agents as standoff with Trump continues
With expanded immigration enforcement operations expected to focus largely on Democratic-led cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, a standoff between city leadership and the Trump administration could reach new levels — creating concerns of collateral damage for some migrants calling those places home. After President Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles to contend with protestors opposing deportation raids, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) is expecting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to be sent 'in force' to Chicago. When more federal agents arrive, and what enforcement operations will look like, remain unknown for now. However, the city remains in the sights of Trump administration officials and allies, such as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who toured the Chicago ICE field office on Wednesday and blamed Democrats like Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for 'being on the wrong side of the law.' 'Any politician — it doesn't matter what party you're in — you should be in favor of the people who are upholding the law and trying to keep our communities safe,' the Speaker said Wednesday. 'The idea that the mayor here would say the crazy things that he has said about ICE, he's got it completely upside down. 'He is applauding and supporting dangerous criminals instead of the people who are trying to keep our citizens safe,' he added. The Louisiana Republican has criticized Pritzker, who told reporters this week that Trump is 'going after the wrong people' in his mission to pull off the largest mass deportation mission in history. While Pritzker agrees migrants who entered the country illegally and have committed crimes should be deported, he insists that other migrants are being unfairly targeted by ICE as more enforcement operations ramp up around the Windy City. 'We don't know exactly how big that force will be, but I do know that (Trump) has used other law enforcement along with ICE to carry out his ill-conceived mission,' the governor said. Sam Olson, the field director of the Chicago ICE field office, told local outlet WGN, a Nexstar station, this week that federal agents will be in the streets seven days a week to enforce immigration law. The ramp-up comes as the White House has called for ICE to make 3,000 arrests per day. Administration officials say ICE has made 100,000 migrant arrests since Trump took office. But Johnson told Fox News on Wednesday that the Chicago field office is understaffed and overwhelmed at a time when Department of Homeland Security officials claim that assaults on federal agents were up 413 percent. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents knock on the door of a residence during a multiagency targeted enforcement operation in Chicago on Jan. 26. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The Speaker's comments came a day after New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by ICE while attempting to accompany a migrant out of immigration court and was taken into custody, sparking outrage among Democrats who credit Trump for being behind ICE's tactics. Yet with tensions high, Olson said agents in Chicago have a job they are committed to doing. 'While we're focusing on a lot of the criminals, there are a subset of those who are here illegally that have final orders of removal that were maybe on some type of reporting procedure, but at some point, they've already been already ordered removed by a judge, so again, we're just enforcing that order,' Olson told WGN. Pritzker claimed this week that Trump sending Marines and the National Guard troops to Los Angeles hasn't worked out too well for him politically. Due to pushback, the governor doesn't expect military troops to be deployed to other locations, such as Chicago. However, that will keep the focus on ICE and other agencies that the president has vowed to use in immigration enforcement. The push for more arrests comes as GOP lawmakers are attempting to pass Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which has $150 billion earmarked to provide more funding to ICE and other agencies for immigration enforcement. With more money in ICE coffers, Chicago Democrats fear that it signals more trouble for migrants who are already on edge over the increased presence of more agents who are already seeking to meet arrest number expectations coming from the top. 'If money is allocated like that …. not only are (ICE enforcement operations) going to be normalized, but they're also going to be expanded to the dire consequences of destroying entire cities,' Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez told NewsNation. 'It's going to happen because of an individual who is acting as a dictator and not as a president.' As Chicago's mayor continues to call for more resistance to Trump's immigration policies directed at left-leaning cities, other city leaders are hoping for compromise. Alderman Raymond Lopez, a Democrat who has pushed for the city to tweak its existing sanctuary city policy, predicted Trump's focus on Chicago was looming. Lopez previously accused the mayor of engaging in a 'political game of chicken' with the president and is calling on the city to extend an olive branch. Realistically, though, he fears nothing will happen. 'I think it's only going to get worse,' Lopez told NewsNation on Wednesday. '(City leaders) want to have a continual state of distraction with this administration because it deflects from their own failures to actually solve any problems in our city and in our country.' Lopez, who has met privately with White House border czar Tom Homan, believes focusing on migrant criminals who have entered the country illegally over the past four years is 'more than enough to keep this administration busy and more than enough to allow the president to meet his goals.' But he says with the mayor and others unwilling to budge, the spotlight pointed at Chicago will not dim, and that 'collateral captures' of migrants attempting to find asylum in the city to achieve a better life will continue as ICE ramps up its activity. 'We are choosing to keep the target on the backs of our city and the backs of our undocumented community by thumbing our noses at Trump 2.0,' Lopez said. 'He's been very true to his word about what he wants to do. And no one should be surprised he's acting on what he said.' 'The federal government is bigger than the city of Chicago,' he added. 'And now, we're going to feel it.'
