Nearly two dozen Democratic state attorneys general are suing over President Trump's attempts to link some federal grants to immigration enforcement.
Two lawsuits were filed in a Rhode Island federal court Tuesday that look to block the Trump administration's efforts to force the states to cooperate with immigration enforcement or not receive the funds.
The grants are for things like disaster relief, cyber security and transportation.
“We are experiencing creeping authoritarianism in this country, and as a people we must continue to resist,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Neronha. “Using the safety of Americans as collateral, the Trump Administration is once again illegally subverting the Congress, bullying the states to relinquish their right, ensured by the Constitution, to enact policies and laws that best serve their residents. By threatening to withhold these congressionally allocated funds, used for projects like fixing highways and preparing for natural disasters, the President is willing to put our collective safety at risk.”
“Threatening to withhold federal funding appropriated by Congress as a way to bully states into aiding and abetting the Trump Administration’s fear-driven and inhumane immigration policies isn’t just unconstitutional -- it’s extortion,” said Massachusetts AG Campbell. “Congress appropriated this funding to support emergency preparedness and transportation infrastructure projects that would reduce accidents and fatalities and promote public safety, and only Congress has the authority to change that. While the Trump Administration may be willing to gamble with the lives of millions of hardworking Americans including Massachusetts residents—I am not.”
“The federal government needs to do its own job—lawfully—and stop this unconstitutional fixation on micromanaging sovereign state business. Immigration enforcement is a federal role. Plain and simple. You cannot coerce states into doing the federal government’s job by stealing our disaster relief and transportation funding. This is dumb and dangerous, and we’re fighting back,” said Connecticut Attorney General Tong.
The group of 20 states that joined the lawsuits also includes New Mexico, Minnesota and New York.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images News / Getty Images