Kathy Hochul Vows to ‘Fight Back' After Trump Strips $74M From New York

New York‘s Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul vowed to fight the Trump administration again on Thursday, after it was announced that $73.5 million in federal funding would be pulled over illegal immigrants with commercial driver’s licenses.

Earlier in the day, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that after a Department of Transportation review, the state had refused to revoke nearly 33,000 questionable licenses.

"This continues a yearlong pattern of Secretary Duffy threatening to withhold money that keeps our roads, subways, and other infrastructure safe for New Yorkers. We will fight back, and once again we will win," Hochul’s spokesperson Sean Butler told the Associated Press.

Newsweek reached out to Hochul’s office for further comment via email.

Duffy has been vocal in his concerns over states that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, particularly commercial ones, after high-profile crashes elsewhere in the United States involving truckers.

Also Thursday, the Trump administration agreed to release funding for the Second Avenue Subway extension in Manhattan, after the federal funds were withheld over concerns related to DEI.

This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.

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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 2:37 PM.