20 states file lawsuits to block Trump's immigration grant policy
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Twenty Democratic-led states are accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully threatening to withhold billions in federal grants.
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Donald Trump smiles after autographing a section of the border wall during a tour in San Luis, Arizona, on June 23, 2020. (AP)
A coalition of 20 Democratic-led states filed two federal lawsuits on Tuesday challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to tie billions in federal funding to immigration enforcement cooperation.
Filed in federal court in Rhode Island, the lawsuits target the US Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security, accusing them of unlawfully using transportation, counterterrorism, and emergency preparedness grants to pressure states into cooperating with President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the legal effort, called the move “blatantly illegal", criticizing the administration for threatening to withhold funding unrelated to immigration enforcement.
"He’s treating these funds, which have nothing to do with immigration enforcement and everything to do with the safety of our communities, as a bargaining chip," according to a statement by Bonta.
The lawsuits argue that by conditioning federal grants on immigration cooperation, the administration is overstepping constitutional limits and infringing on Congress’s exclusive authority over federal spending.
The Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Federal funds tied to immigration and DEI crackdowns
Since retaking office, Trump has issued multiple executive orders aimed at cutting off federal funding to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions; cities and states that limit cooperation with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
These jurisdictions typically have policies that restrict local law enforcement from participating in civil immigration enforcement activities. However, a federal judge has since blocked the administration from withholding funding from 16 cities and counties with such measures in place.
Meanwhile, the Trump-era Department of Justice has launched separate lawsuits against Illinois, New York, and Colorado, arguing that laws in those Democratic-led states obstruct federal immigration efforts.
One of the lawsuits filed on Tuesday targeted the Homeland Security Department's new requirements that states help federal civil immigration enforcement or risk losing grant funds for emergency readiness, disaster relief, and cybersecurity.
"DHS is holding states hostage by forcing them to choose between disaster preparedness and enabling the administration's illegal and chaotic immigration agenda," New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, said in a statement.
The second complaint centered on a letter written by US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on April 24, indicating that states might lose transportation money if they refuse to comply with immigration enforcement activities or maintain diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives
