Friday’s Headlines Are Over ICE
Traffic safety and transportation funding continue to get tangled up in immigration enforcement under Trump.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on February 20, 2026
- The Trump administration is considering banning states from using federal funding to provide free transportation to migrants, as part of a broader U.S. DOT package that would also prohibit speed cameras in Washington. D.C. and ban fare-free buses. (Politico)
- Some cities are ditching their Flock license-plate readers over fears that ICE could use them for immigration crackdowns without local officials’ knowledge or consent. (NPR)
- Congress treats transportation and housing costs as separate problems, even though they’re related, and the funding should be tied together. (The Hill)
- Elon Musk claims that Tesla’s Cybercab production line in Texas is now churning out vehicles (Jalopnik). In related news, Uber is spending $100 million on chargers for electric robotaxis (Axios).
- Oregon Republicans ended a brief walkout that denied Democrats a quorum in the state legislature to move a transportation funding referendum from November to May. The bill is now scheduled for a vote today (Capital Chronicle). Oregon’s crisis bears lessons about accountability for the rest of the nation, according to Transportation for America.
- Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and other San Antonio leaders are pushing VIA to explore fare-free rides, but the agency says doing so could jeopardize two bus rapid transit projects. (Report)
- San Diego is considering reducing speed limits in many parts of the city, such as near schools and along bike lanes. (10 News)
- Miami is drafting a Vision Zero policy. (Today)
- Philadelphia is improperly installing 99 percent of its speed humps, either reducing their effectiveness or damaging cars. (WHYY)
- Removing lanes on I-94 through St. Paul is under consideration. (Pioneer Press)
- The Charlotte city council wants to delay plans to build new express lanes on I-77. (WFAE)
- A Connecticut commuter rail line could switch back to diesel from electric locomotives to save money. (Trains)
- Republicans say they believe in local control, but in Utah they’re meddling in cities’ transportation decisions. (KUER)
- Veo pulled its shared e-scooters from Columbus streets this winter despite the Ohio city’s stated desire that they be available all year. (Underground)
- What’s it like to drive a New Orleans streetcar during Carnival? (Times-Picayune)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
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