Overview
- Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell ruled the Trump administration cannot tie Department of Transportation grants to state cooperation with civil immigration enforcement.
- The court vacated the DOT’s Immigration Enforcement Condition from grant agreements and entered a permanent injunction barring its implementation or enforcement.
- The ruling found the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeded constitutional limits on conditioning federal funding.
- A coalition of 20 Democratic-run states brought the lawsuit after the policy was announced, following an earlier preliminary injunction issued in June.
- Massachusetts officials said the decision secures more than $1.6 billion in anticipated DOT funding for the state this year, and the administration has signaled it will continue to fight the case.