• Twenty states have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration over funding linked to immigration enforcement.
• California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta leads the coalition, calling the threat to cut funding "blatantly illegal".
• The lawsuits argue this policy violates the Constitution by attempting to coerce states into complying with immigration demands.
• The states claim the federal government is misusing its financial power to dictate immigration policy.
• White House officials defend the policy, criticizing the lawsuits as political maneuvers by Democratic attorneys general.

A coalition of twenty states, primarily led by Democratic attorneys general, has filed two federal lawsuits against the Trump administration. The lawsuits contend that the administration is unlawfully threatening to withhold billions in funding for transportation, disaster relief, and emergency preparedness unless states comply with its immigration enforcement policies. California Attorney General Rob Bonta characterized these threats as "blatantly illegal" and a misuse of federal power, emphasizing that the funds involved are crucial for public safety and infrastructure, according to latimes, reuters, and cbsnews.

The lawsuits were filed in federal court in Rhode Island and name the Department of Transportation and Department of Homeland Security as defendants. They claim that recent letters from federal officials demanding state compliance with immigration enforcement violate the Constitution, which grants Congress authority over federal spending. The lawsuits argue that by imposing such conditions, the administration is unlawfully coercing states into enforcing its immigration agenda, according to indiatimes and nytimes.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin criticized the timing of the administration's actions, highlighting that Newark airport was experiencing significant operational issues. He expressed that federal agencies should prioritize efficiency over political agendas, stating, "I wish the administration would stop playing politics with people's lives," according to latimes and cbsnews.

The states involved in the lawsuits argue that the funding provided is critical for maintaining infrastructure and public safety, and they view the administration's actions as a form of political coercion lacking legal justification. The lawsuits are part of an ongoing legal resistance by Democratic-led states against the Trump administration's broad immigration policies, which have included threats to remove funding from so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, as noted by reuters and indiatimes.