Trump administration seeks to tie federal transit dollars to immigration enforcement in upcoming highway bill, raising constitutional and funding questions for cities nationwide.
According to draft legislative text obtained by media outlets, the proposal would prohibit recipients of federal transit funds from using those dollars to transport individuals “unlawfully present in the United States for the purpose of avoiding detection, apprehension, or removal by Federal immigration authorities.”
If enacted, the measure would give Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy the authority to withhold funding from agencies deemed to be in violation. The language would apply broadly across programs administered by the Federal Transit Administration, including buses, subways, ferries, and light rail systems.
The proposal is expected to be considered as part of the highway bill reauthorization, which Congress must pass before the current law expires on September 30.
