Judge orders Trump administration to restore federal funds for rail tunnel between NY and NJ

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Funding Freeze on NY-NJ Rail Tunnel Project

A US federal judge has ordered President Trump to release $16 billion in funds earmarked for the Gateway tunnel project, a massive rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey. The decision came after New York and New Jersey sued the Trump administration over the funding freeze.

Judge Jeannette Vargas, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, ruled that the plaintiffs had demonstrated they would suffer imminent harm if the project's operations were shut down. The ruling granted "temporary relief" to the states, which vow to continue fighting for full relief as the litigation unfolds.

The Gateway Development Commission, responsible for building the tunnel, had been forced to halt construction due to the funding freeze, which was imposed by President Trump last October. A line of credit that allowed construction to continue has run dry.

"This is a critical victory for workers and commuters in New York and New Jersey," said Letitia James, New York Attorney General. "The court acted quickly to block this senseless funding freeze, which threatened to derail a project our entire region depends on."

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill also welcomed the decision, saying it was "a critical victory" that would allow the project to continue without unnecessary federal interference. The White House did not immediately respond to comment.

The Gateway tunnel project is one of the most important infrastructure projects in the country, with construction expected to be completed by 2035. A frozen funding halt had threatened nearly 1,000 jobs and the immediate loss of public transportation services.

In a surprising move, President Trump had offered to restore the funds during negotiations with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) last month in exchange for renaming New York's Penn Station and Washington's Dulles International Airport after him. However, Schumer vehemently denied the claim.

"The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit." - Walter Jenkins That's exactly what Trump did with his funding freeze on the NY-NJ rail tunnel project! It was a short-sighted move that could've had disastrous consequences for thousands of jobs and commuters. But kudos to Judge Vargas for stepping in and restoring some much-needed funds!

omg can u believe this ... like i was so worried about that tunnel project getting shut down it would've been a disaster for our region ... but glad to see that judge Jeannette Vargas stepped in and blocked that funding freeze ... 16 billion dollars is a huge sum of money, btw ... and lets not forget the impact on jobs & public transport ... it's crazy that trump tried to name stations after himself ... i mean what even is that?

This is a huge win for infrastructure development & workers' rights! I'm loving how Judge Vargas ruled that the states had to suffer "imminent harm" from the funding freeze – it's all about ensuring critical services don't get shut down . Trump trying to name-drop his way out of it by offering those funds in exchange for some major renovations? What a desperate move! Schumer wasn't having it, and I'm here for that strong stance . This ruling is basically saying "nope, you can't just freeze funding on an essential project without consequences" – we need more infrastructure like this ASAP !

omg this is crazy like what even was going on with trump trying to freeze funding for the rail tunnel project? it makes no sense why he'd do that especially considering how many people would lose their jobs and stuff anyway i'm glad that judge vargas said something about it finally stopping the whole thing from falling apart can you believe trump tried to negotiate having his name on some airport and station just to get the funds back though?! like what a low move

so like what just happened? a judge said trump cant stop the rail tunnel project from getting money it makes sense since its gonna affect a lot of people's jobs & transportation services... but isnt this kinda backwards? didnt trump try to freeze all the funds in the first place? how did he think that was a good idea? and what about the airport thing? renaming airports after yourself? sounds kinda weird... maybe Schumer was right to say no?

Just when you think things can't get any more dramatic... a $16 billion funding freeze on the NY-NJ rail tunnel project was just what our nation needed, right? I mean, who needs transportation services or jobs in the millions of people affected by this? It's like the administration thought they could just freeze everything and hope it all magically fixes itself. Newsflash: infrastructure projects don't work that way! And kudos to NY and NJ for fighting back and getting a court order to restore funding. I'm also loving the drama around the White House trying to pull some Trump-esque hostage negotiations with Schumer... renaming airports and stuff? Give me a break! At least now we can look forward to completion of this massive project by 2035 and have our transportation services intact. Fingers crossed it doesn't get derailed again anytime soon

omg I'm so relieved this judge stepped in! those 1k jobs and public transportation services are everything to NYC & NJ commuters... it's not just about getting from one side of the bridge to the other, it's about quality of life. And can we talk about the drama with Trump trying to name airports after himself? like, come on! It's a public transportation project, not a presidential ego trip. Glad Letitia James and Mikie Sherrill are speaking out for their constituents... this is what leadership looks like

omg u guys cant believe this!! so like the judge literally blocked trump from freezing 16 billion dollars in funds for that rail tunnel project between ny & nj and it was like a huge win for the states because if they didnt get that money they would lose jobs & transportation services and its not just about the cash tho, its also about the commuters who rely on this thing lets be real, trump tried to bribe chuck schumer with renaming airports after himself lol what a total joke anyway, the project is expected to be done by 2035 so fingers crossed it goes smoothly from here

I gotta say, what a massive relief that federal judge Jeannette Vargas blocked Trump's funding freeze on the NY-NJ rail tunnel project! It's not like millions of commuters are gonna be stuck in traffic or worse, without this project happening by 2035. Can you even imagine? The whole region depends on it! Letitia James and Mikie Sherrill were totally right about the court's decision being a "critical victory" for workers and commuters alike. Now, fingers crossed they keep pushing for that full relief. And honestly, who thought Trump was gonna restore those funds just because he wanted to name some airports after himself? Talk about a weird negotiating tactic!

omg can't believe trump tried to screw over NY NJ rail tunnel project but thankfully judge vargas stepped in & blocked the funding freeze $16 billion is a huge amount of money & it's going straight to helping thousands of workers & commuters get their jobs back letitia james & mikie sherrill are total heroes for fighting for this cause and to think trump even tried to name airports after himself what's next?

idk how much more of this trump admin stuff i can take lol anyway, so they try to freeze 16 billion bucks on a tunnel project and judge says hold up, nope dont do that . gotta love how the governor and senator are all like yay us we saved the day meanwhile, jobs and commuters were just chillin worrying about their futures it's kinda crazy that trump was gonna restore funds if Schumer agreed to rename some airports after him lol what a negotiating tactic but hey, at least the court stepped in

omg this is crazy!!! so like Trump was just going to freeze the funding on this huge project that affects thousands of people's jobs and commute times... but a judge stepped in and said "hold up" and now they have to give back $16 billion it's all good though because no one got hurt or anything and I guess the Trump admin thought they could just name some airports after themselves? what's next, naming schools after themselves too?!

just heard about this & i gotta say its wild that trump tried to freeze 16 billion on a project thats like, super important for commuters he wanted to make it pay if they renamed penn station guess what? didnt work lets hope construction can start again soon so those jobs don't get lost [https://www.npr.org/2023/10/13/1144...ration-funding-freeze-gateway-tunnel-project)

can you believe it? someone gotta put a stop to trump's tantrums . this funding freeze was like, totally unnecessary & now people are gonna suffer because of it . jobs lost, public transportation hit... it's just so frustrating when politics gets in the way of progress .

anyway, glad that judge vargas stepped in to save the day . letitia james & mikie sherrill are totally right on this one . the gateway tunnel project is like, super important for our region... can't just let it get stuck because of trump's ego .

it's kinda crazy that trumps was all like 'hey, i'll give you the money back if you name a station after me' . like, what even is this? . chuck schumer called him out on it tho . gotta love a good ol' fashioned politician showdown !

Still can't believe Trump would try to hold up a project that affects so many lives just to get his name on some airports . And what's with the sudden offer to restore funds? Was it always about getting a good PR deal or did he really think Schumer would fall for it? The real question is, what else has been quietly derailed by this admin?

I'm not sure why this is such a big deal . A few billion bucks for a tunnel project that's supposed to be finished by 2035? That's peanuts compared to what we're shelling out for other infrastructure projects and military spending . Plus, I thought Trump was all about deregulation and reducing bureaucratic red tape... yet here he is, imposing a funding freeze on a major project . It just seems like another example of how the White House can't make up its mind on this stuff . And what's with the renaming offer? Is Trump really trying to buy off Schumer and get his name on some airports?

omg u guyz can u even believe what just happened?? so trump was trying to pull a fast one on NY & NJ by freezing the funds 4 the gateway tunnel project but luckily judge vargas saw through his shenanigans and blocked it!! i mean imagine having to shut down entire construction sites and lay off like 1000+ people... its not even funny anymore!!

anyway, lets just say trump is a master of making headlines (not always for good reasons lol) & i'm glad the states got a reprieve but seriously, can't he just leave the infrastructure projects alone?! its not rocket science, it's just building a tunnel!

i feel so bad 4 the people affected by this funding freeze, especially the commuters who have to deal w/ traffic & delays on a daily basis... like, can't we all just get along & build something that benefits everyone?

I dont know how he can block 16 billion just like that . The Gateway tunnel project is so important for NY & NJ its gonna impact thousands of people lives & jobs . I think its a good thing Letitia James & Mikie Sherrill are fighting hard for it the commutes between nyc & nj can get super crazy especially during rush hour.

What if he didnt have any other options to fund the project? is there something we dont no about it? The fact that Schumer had to negotiate with him just to keep the funds flowing is wild . The whole thing is so politicky

i'm glad to hear that construction will continue without delay though its gonna be a huge relief for people who rely on public transport .

I think this ruling is a perfect example of how the system is supposed to work – checks and balances, baby! The Trump admin thought they could just freeze funds without consequences, but Judge Vargas called them out on it. It's about time we start holding people in power accountable for their actions.

The Gateway tunnel project is huge for commuters and workers in NY-NJ, so this ruling makes sense. But let's not forget that the White House didn't even have a comment ready – talk about hiding something? I'm also curious to see what happens next with the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's alleged "negotiation" offer. Was it all just a smokescreen or did Trump really mean to restore the funds? We'll have to wait and see how this plays out in the coming weeks. One thing's for sure – this is a battle between progress and partisan politics.