The Trump Administration has decided to withdraw from a legal dispute with Massachusetts and 21 other states over immigration enforcement conditions tied to federal transportation grant funding. The Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss its appeal of a judgment that permanently blocked the contested conditions. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, who led the case, commented on the decision, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The case involved the Department of Transportation’s conditions on federal grant funding, which required states to participate in joint ICE operations, provide access to immigration status information, comply with detention requests, or limit assistance programs for residents regardless of immigration status. In May, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell led a coalition of states in a lawsuit challenging these requirements.
The case reached a key point on November 4, 2025, when the district court ruled in favor of the states, invalidating the contested DOT conditions and protecting federal transportation funding. While the DOT initially planned to appeal the ruling, its decision to withdraw the challenge effectively concludes the case. Massachusetts relies on more than $1.6 billion in DOT funding to support its roads, highways, and bridges.
During the legal proceedings, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell was joined by attorneys general from 21 other states. The coalition challenged the federal requirements, and the resolution of the case protects federal transportation funding that supports state infrastructure.
