By James Morley III | Tuesday, 04 November 2025 04:01 PM EST
A Rhode Island judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration cannot withhold transportation funding from states refusing to aid federal immigration enforcement, according to Politico.
Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell determined the Department of Transportation and Secretary Sean Duffy overstepped authority by linking road funds to immigration cooperation. “The Constitution demands the Court set aside this lawless behavior,” McConnell wrote in his opinion.
McConnell, appointed by President Barack Obama, stated the administration failed to demonstrate a “plausible connection between cooperating with ICE enforcement and the congressionally approved purposes of the Department of Transportation.” The ruling marks another legal setback for the Trump administration as Democrat-led states challenge its use of federal funds in immigration policy disputes.
Earlier this year, a court ordered the release of $5 billion in electric vehicle charger funding withheld under similar conditions. California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the administration, saying, “If President Trump wants to stop losing in court, he should stop breaking the law.”
Bonta led a coalition of 20 Democratic attorneys general in suing over the policy, calling the funds “a bargaining chip” for immigration enforcement. “This is not a game,” he stated.
