Attorney General Bonta Challenges Withholding of Disaster Relief, Transportation Funding

Trump Administration targeting four Democratic-led states for their refusal to participate in federal immigration enforcement 

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta yesterday challenged the Trump Administration’s threatened cuts to $900 million in transportation funding and withholding of over $1.3 billion in disaster relief funding to four Democratic-led states. Since taking office, the Trump Administration has made numerous attempts to strip funds from states whose policies it disagrees with, including those that refuse to use their limited resources to assist with the President’s inhumane mass deportation agenda. Along with the attorneys general of Illinois, Colorado, and Minnesota, Attorney General Bonta seeks to amend an existing lawsuit filed last month that challenges the Trump Administration’s illegal plans to cut more than $600 million in health grants to also cover this new targeted funding, which includes long-delayed disaster aid, funding for freight and highway projects, and funding to expand access to electric vehicle charging along major transportation corridors and in underserved communities. 

“The Trump Administration continues to punish those states it does not like. But California will not be bullied into participating in the President’s mass deportation campaign,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We’re talking about funds that help communities up and down the state, in rural and urban areas, recover from disasters and support new transportation infrastructure. These funds are not a bargaining chip. The President must back away from this latest misguided attack, or he can expect to face yet more losses in court.”

BACKGROUND

The Trump Administration has repeatedly attempted to condition receipt of unrelated federal funding on participation in federal immigration enforcement. Attorney General Bonta previously challenged — and secured final court rulings blocking — the Trump Administration’s attempt to impose immigration enforcement conditions on transportation, homeland security, and crime victims funding. The Trump Administration also backed down in the face of litigation challenging its attempt to impose other immigration-related conditions on funding for organizations that provide wraparound support to victims of crimes. 

President Trump’s latest threats to withhold federal funding from states whose policies he disagrees with are no different. Last month, the Office of Management and Budget issued a directive ordering the Centers for Disease Control to cut over $600 million in public-health funding from California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota. Attorney General Bonta, along with the other state attorneys general, filed a lawsuit and, within 24 hours, secured a court order temporarily blocking these cuts. The attorneys general have since confirmed OMB’s expansion of this directive to include the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

The lawsuit, which the attorneys general are expanding to include threatened disaster relief and transportation funding, argues that the planned funding cuts violate the Administrative Procedure Act’s requirement of reasoned decision-making and exceed the agencies’ statutory authority and the U.S. Constitution by violating the separation of powers and imposing retroactive conditions on funding.