The Trump administration will prioritize funding and assisting projects that require communities to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, according to a recently released memo.
Programs or activities assisted by the Department of Transportation will be designated of high priority if they "require local compliance or cooperation with Federal immigration enforcement," the memo stated.
The memo released Wednesday sought to outline how to determine DOT grants, loans and contracts' order of importance. The policies included were meant to "mandate reliance on rigorous economic analysis" to ensure that the projects the department would be spending time on would "bolster the American economy."
The department outlining compliance with immigration authorities as a priority comes as President Donald Trump ordered immigration officials to increase the number of deportation raids across the country as part of his campaign promise for "mass deportations."
Prior to the enactment of this order, several Democratic governors and leaders of blue cities vowed to protect their migrant communities and pledged to remain uncooperative with ICE agents.
In the week since Trump's inauguration, hundreds of people have been detained by immigration authorities across the country.
Other projects and programs prioritized by the memo included giving "preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average."
Meanwhile, any projects that would have required the department's support to uphold "vaccine and mask mandates" were said to be prohibited from DOT assistance.
All Operating Administrations were told to review their contracts and agreements to ensure compliance with the order, and to report back on their status in six months.
Originally published on Latin Times
