Amit Bose, then U.S. Department of Transportation administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, speaks at a high-speed rail event in Fresno in 2023. Photo by Frank Lopez

The City of Fresno has joined forces with other municipalities to challenge the loss of federal grant funding from the Trump administration.

The federal lawsuit and temporary restraining order announced Thursday seeks to halt enforcement of what the plaintiffs call unlawful executive orders. Other California jurisdictions including Eureka, Lake Tahoe and Sacramento County are also taking part in the lawsuit.

The action is being taken as a last resort to preserve local funding, according to a news release, such as $11.7 million in annual grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and more than $100 million in Department of Transportation (DOT) grants for various transportation projects. Fresno Yosemite International Airport has also received $50 million in Federal Aviation Administration funding for capital improvements, with another $100 million anticipated for upcoming infrastructure upgrades.

The lawsuit was filed because HUD and DOT, acting on recent Trump executive orders, have inserted what the city calls “vague and unauthorized conditions into grant agreements.” This involves language related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The city must remove the programs and laguage to qualify for grants, according to the Trump administration.

“Fresno is one of the fastest-growing cities in California. Our city depends on these federal grants in order to meet our housing demand, provide reliable transportation, and improve our roads,” said Mayor Jerry Dyer. “When Washington suddenly rewrites the rules, it’s our families, seniors, and small businesses who suffer most — and the impact is felt throughout our nation.”

Mike Karbassi, Fresno City Council president, said working families have become collateral damage in a political fight between Washington, D.C. and Sacramento. He said with federal high speed rail dollars eliminated, Fresno’s airport is more vital than ever as the Valley’s transportation hub.

“And without federal support, both our airport and the local economy it sustains would be at critical risk,” Karbassi said in a statement.