Duffy Threatens to Cut DOT Funds to “Sanctuary Cities”

“Follow the law or forfeit the funding” says US Secretary of Transportation.

1 minute read

June 18, 2025, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Group protesting during May Day 2017 holding sign that reads "Sanctuary for all" in San Francisco, California.

Protesters call for "sanctuary for all" in San Francisco on May 1, International Worker's Day. | Pax Ahimsa Gethen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a warning to jurisdictions with “sanctuary” policies, threatening them with federal funding cuts if they do not cooperate with federal immigration policy.

As Ryan King explains in the New York Post, “Duffy had issued the warning after Trump declared Sunday that his team will embark upon the ‘single largest Mass Deportation Program in History’ with a particular emphasis on Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and other big cities.”

The Secretary did not elaborate on how funding would be cut but called jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal authorities “rogue state actors.” According to King, “In 2023, the feds spent some $44.8 billion on infrastructure, including $81.5 billion worth of transfers to states. The federal government also provides emergency relief in the event of natural disasters,” King adds, funding that is also in danger as Trump moves to eliminate FEMA and federal disaster relief programs.

Monday, June 16, 2025 in New York Post

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

49 minutes ago - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

NYC Mayor Zohran Mandami speaks behind a blue podium.

Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals

The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.

45 minutes ago - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

A tall, gray power plant billows smoke into a blue sky.

EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants

Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.

September 15 - New York Times

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.