A judge in Rhode Island ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration cannot deny transportation funding to states that refuse to cooperate with enforcement of federal immigration law, Politico reported.
Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell found that the Department of Transportation and Secretary Sean Duffy exceeded their authority by attempting to condition road funding on immigration cooperation.
"The Constitution demands the Court set aside this lawless behavior," McConnell wrote in his opinion.
McConnell, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, said the administration failed to "cite any plausible connection between cooperating with ICE enforcement and the congressionally approved purposes of the Department of Transportation," referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The decision marks another legal victory for Democrat-led states challenging the administration's efforts to use federal transportation funds as leverage in immigration policy disputes.
Earlier this year, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release $5 billion in funding for electric vehicle chargers that had been withheld under similar conditions.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta praised Tuesday's ruling, taking a swipe at the administration.
"If President Trump wants to stop losing in court, he should stop breaking the law," Bonta said in a statement. "The courts have repeatedly and firmly rejected the Trump administration's efforts to infringe on states' constitutional right to set their own policy priorities."
In May, Bonta led a coalition of 20 Democratic attorneys general in suing the administration over its attempt to link Transportation Department grants to cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Bonta said in his initial lawsuit that President Donald Trump is "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.
"But this is not a game. I'll continue taking the president to court each time he breaks the law and puts Californians' interests on the line."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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