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

A protest in Minneapolis over the killing of ICE observer Renee Good.

|Photo: Chad Davis

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)