Overview
- Chief U.S. District Judge John R. McConnell in Rhode Island issued a permanent injunction declaring the Department of Transportation’s Immigration Enforcement Condition unlawful.
- The court ordered the condition vacated from all grant agreements and barred the government from implementing or enforcing it against the states.
- Twenty states led by California brought the suit after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to cut funding, following an earlier preliminary injunction in June.
- McConnell found the administration exceeded its statutory authority, violated the Administrative Procedure Act, and breached constitutional limits on attaching conditions to federal funds.
- State officials said the decision safeguards critical infrastructure dollars, including an estimated $1.6 billion for Massachusetts this year, while DOT did not comment and Duffy has vowed to continue fighting in court.