Photo: Alamy
The Trump administration is advancing a proposal that could limit how states and local governments use federal transit funds for programs that assist migrants, according to a Politico report.
The proposal, prepared by the Department of Transportation, would bar recipients of federal transit funding from using those funds for programs that transport individuals unlawfully present in the United States in ways that interfere with federal immigration enforcement.
The language would apply to all Federal Transit Administration programs, including bus, subway, light rail and ferry systems.
According to Politico, the draft states that “systems that receive Federal funds” must not use taxpayer dollars “to circumvent or break Federal immigration law.”
The proposal would not prevent migrants from riding public transportation as paying passengers. Instead, it would target government-run initiatives that provide free or subsidized transportation for migrants, particularly if those services help individuals avoid detection, apprehension or removal by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The draft would authorize Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to withhold funding from jurisdictions that use federal transit dollars “for programs that transport individuals unlawfully present in the United States for the purpose of avoiding detection, apprehension, or removal by Federal immigration authorities.”
It would also “prohibit the issuance of targeted federally subsidized transit benefits for illegal immigrants,” though details about how the policy would be enforced remain unclear.
The measure is being considered as part of a broader package Congress is expected to take up this year. The current transportation law expires Sept. 30.
The proposal addresses situations in which cities provided free bus transportation to migrants seeking access to shelters and other services after being sent north from border states during the Biden administration. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott transported migrants to cities including New York, Chicago and Washington, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arranged flights to Martha’s Vineyard.
The proposal follows warnings from the administration to sanctuary jurisdictions. In June, Duffy said cities and states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement could risk losing Department of Transportation funding.