If CA Doesn't Comply With Trump's Immigration Push, It Could Lose Billions: Lawsuit

CALIFORNIA — California is levying two lawsuits against the Trump administration following the announcement of a policy that would withhold billions of dollars in transportation grants unless the Golden State falls in line with immigration enforcement.

Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who is joined by 20 other targeted states in filing the lawsuits, says the move by Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation is illegal and dangerous.

If President Donald Trump cuts off these hefty federal grants, the lawsuit argues that more people will die as cars, planes and trains will crash.

“President Trump doesn’t have the authority to unlawfully coerce state and local governments into using their resources for federal immigration enforcement – and his latest attempt to bully them into doing so is blatantly illegal,” Bonta said Tuesday.

California has now sued the Trump administration 22 times.

California is just one of 20 states that stand to lose transportation funding, along with New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

“Let’s be clear about what’s happening here: 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."

Bonta says transportation grants are unrelated to immigration enforcement and that the policy would endanger Californians.

California gets more than $15.7 billion in grant funding from the federal transportation department. The money goes toward maintaining roads, highways, railways, airways and bridges, Bonta's office said. Those grants also include funding for buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys and ferries.

The state also gets money from the federal government to prepare for, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks and other catastrophes, including cyber attacks.

"He’s 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," he said.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said states that prevent agents from arresting immigrants should not get federal funding.

“Radical sanctuary politicians need to put the safety of the American people first — not criminal illegal aliens,” she said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law. No lawsuit, not this one or any other, is going to stop us from doing that.”

The news comes on the heels of an executive order signed by Trump to potentially cut off federal funding to cities and states that deem themselves "sanctuaries." In those communities, local law enforcement often do not work with immigration enforcement.