Overview

• U.S. District Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein granted a preliminary injunction on June 4 preventing the Department of Transportation from enforcing new funding conditions on Denver and other cities.
• The ruling finds the administration likely violated the Separation of Powers principle by imposing grant requirements not authorized by Congress.
• About $600 million in federal transportation grants to Denver’s Department of Transportation and Denver International Airport are shielded from being withheld under the injunction.
• The judge determined that the mere threat of losing funds creates irreparable budgetary uncertainty warranting immediate relief before a full trial.
• Mayor Mike Johnston praised the decision and noted Denver’s simultaneous legal battles with FEMA over reimbursements and with the Justice Department on immigration policy.