Press Release  AG Campbell Celebrates Trump Administration's Decision to Drop Appeal of Court Order Blocking Illegal Conditions on Transportation Grant Funding

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss its appeal of the final judgment permanently blocking the Trump Administration’s effort to unlawfully impose immigration enforcement requirements on billions of dollars in annual U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grants. By dropping its appeal, the Trump Administration concedes the case, fully resolving it in favor of Massachusetts and the 21 other states that sued the Administration.  

“The Trump Administration’s decision to drop their appeal is a win for the rule of law and for our communities that rely on this funding for critical transportation infrastructure projects,” said AG Campbell. “This victory permanently safeguards more than a billion dollars in funding that strengthens our communities and promotes public safety across the Commonwealth. I’ll keep fighting back against the federal government’s cruel and illegal policies that harm our residents.” 

In May, AG Campbell and the coalition filed a lawsuit against DOT over its effort to force states to comply with the federal government’s unlawful immigration enforcement policies by threatening to rip away billions of dollars in federal transportation grant funding. For instance, in order to receive DOT grant funding, states could have been compelled to participate in joint immigration enforcement operations with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), provide unfettered access to individuals’ citizenship or immigration status, comply with federal demands to detain Massachusetts residents, or cease the operation of assistance programs that benefit residents regardless of their immigration status. 

On November 4, 2025, the district court issued a final judgment in favor of Massachusetts and the states, vacating the conditions across all DOT grants and permanently preventing their implementation against the states. DOT subsequently appealed the district court’s ruling, but dropped the appeal on January 13, fully resolving the case in the states’ favor.

Massachusetts receives over $1.6 billion in grant funding from DOT to build and maintain vital travel infrastructure like the roads, highways, airways, and bridges that connect communities and carry its residents to their workplaces and homes. This includes the funding necessary to prevent fatal traffic accidents and stop drunk drivers; the funding to provide transit for seniors and those with disabilities; and the funding that protects and restores roads after environmental disasters like fires or flooding.

Joining AG Campbell in filing the lawsuit were the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.  

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