DOJ Ends Appeal in Lawsuit Over Transportation Money Cut to Sanctuary States

At stake are tens of billions of dollars the states receive from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build and maintain infrastructure.
DOJ Ends Appeal in Lawsuit Over Transportation Money Cut to Sanctuary States
Traffic in Sacramento, Calif., on Nov. 2, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Bill Pan
Bill Pan
Reporter
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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has dropped its appeal of a court decision barring the federal government from cutting off transportation-related funding to so-called sanctuary states—where law enforcement agencies are restricted from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

The DOJ filed its motion to dismiss the appeal on Jan. 13, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued a ruling. The move concludes a legal battle brought by California and 21 other states over whether the Trump administration may tie federal funds used to build and maintain roads, bridges, and highways to state immigration policies.