The Trump administration paused $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago transit infrastructure that had already been signed off on during the Biden administration.

White House budget director Russ Vought posted on social media that he will be targeting the Far South Side Red Line expansion “to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting.”

This is just part of at least $28 billion in funding that the Trump administration has frozen for Democratic cities and states.

The CTA previously procured a legal obligation from the federal government, which promised to pay the $2.1 billion required for the Red Line extension. The goal was to ensure that federal funds would be protected from any new presidential administration.

Although funding has not officially been revoked, the Trump administration has put a pause on funding to review whether city contracting was, in the administration’s terms, “unconstitutional.”

When awarding contracts, the CTA followed long-established rules requiring the agency to meet goals to give contracts to Black-, Latino- and female-owned companies and small firms that qualify as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. Go to WTTW for the full article!