President Donald Trump delivers a special commencement address to University of Alabama graduates at Coleman Coliseum. Graduation occurs over the weekend. Trump tells a story about a female weight lifter struggling in a competition with a trans weight lifter.
Sacramento, California – California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed two lawsuits on Tuesday challenging a Trump administration policy that threatens to withhold billions of dollars in federal transportation and security grants unless states align with the White House’s stance on immigration enforcement.
“Let’s be clear about what’s happening here,” Bonta said. “The President is threatening to yank funds to improve our roads, keep our planes in the air, prepare for emergencies, and protect against terrorist attacks if states do not fall in line with his demands.”
The lawsuits, filed in partnership with a coalition of states, including Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, argue that the Trump administration is exceeding its legal authority by tying unrelated federal funding to compliance with federal immigration enforcement.
The lawsuits target the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security following a recent executive order signed by former President Trump. The order aims to identify and penalize so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions—cities and states that limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
“It’s quite simple,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a briefing last month. “Obey the law, respect the law, and don’t obstruct federal immigration officials and law enforcement officials when they are simply trying to remove public safety threats from our nation’s communities.”
Leavitt also warned that jurisdictions found in violation could face additional civil and criminal actions, including potential Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges.
California, a sanctuary state since 2018 under the California Values Act, receives over $15.7 billion annually in transportation grants, which fund road repairs, transit systems, and airport infrastructure. According to Bonta’s office, the state also secures more than $20.6 billion each year in homeland security and emergency preparedness grants.
“These funds have nothing to do with immigration enforcement and everything to do with the safety of our communities,” Bonta said. “He’s treating these funds as a bargaining chip.”
The coalition argues that the Trump administration’s effort to condition federal funding on immigration cooperation violates constitutional principles of federalism and unlawfully coerces states into enforcing federal policies.
“President Trump doesn’t have the authority to unlawfully coerce state and local governments into using their resources for federal immigration enforcement,” Bonta added. “His latest attempt to bully them into doing so is blatantly illegal.”
