US Rep. Adriano Espaillat stood with Harlem leaders Thursday to denounce the Trump administration’s decision to withhold nearly $18 billion in federal funding for New York City transit projects, warning the freeze will cost jobs and stall long-promised subway access for East Harlem.
Speaking inside the Second Avenue Subway Community Information Center on 125th Street, Espaillat stressed that the community has waited “over 100 years” for the project and vowed to keep pressing for federal support.
“We’ve got to continue the fight for the funding to be there,” he said. “And again, I think the main and most important thing is that the project that we’ve been waiting for for over 100 years continues to move forward.”
Last month, the MTA board voted to approve a tunneling contract for extending the Second Avenue Subway into East Harlem, paving the way for Phase 2 of the anticipated Manhattan transit project.
This second phase of work aims to extend the Q train service from 96th Street north to 125th Street, and then west on 125th Street to Park Avenue — approximately 1.5 miles in total. MTA officials said there will be a direct connection with the existing 125 Street station on the Lexington Avenue subway line.
Work will also include an entrance at Park Avenue to allow transfers to the Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem-125 Street stop.
The MTA is now evaluating the impact these cuts will have on the project, which has already broken ground. The agency’s chief of policy and external relations, John J. McCarthy, said it looks like the Trump administration is “just inventing excuses to delay one of the most important infrastructure projects in America.”
“The federal government wants to immediately ‘review’ our compliance with rules they told us about moments ago. We’re reviewing their tweets and press releases like everyone else,” said McCarthy.
Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, announced in a post on X Wednesday morning that the U.S. Department of Transportation had issued an interim final rule barring “race- and sex-based contracting requirements” from federal grants, claiming the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program was unconstitutional. The agency stated that it was placing the Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Avenue Subway under administrative review as a result.
“[US Transportation Secretary Sean] Duffy’s position on the DBE program is clear — subsidizing infrastructure contracts with taxpayer dollars based on discriminatory principles is unconstitutional, counter to civil rights laws, and a waste of taxpayer resources,” the DOT said in a statement. “Until USDOT’s quick administrative review is complete, project reimbursements cannot be processed, including a $300 million disbursement for the Second Avenue Subway.”
The department added that the review will take longer due to the ongoing government shutdown, which has resulted in the furlough of the civil rights staff responsible for oversight.
Following the initial announcement on Wednesday, Espaillat, who represents East Harlem, said in a written statement that the administration’s decision “is another exhibit of the reckless partisanship and bad governance that triggered this Republican government shutdown.” He added: “Shame on Russell Vought and the Trump administration for harming our national security and punishing New Yorkers with this DC political gamesmanship.”
In a joint statement, Assembly Member Eddie Gibbs called the administration’s action “retaliation, plain and simple.”
“It’s always poor communities that suffer the most from these games,” Gibbs said. “This isn’t a game — stop treating it like one. Stop playing with people’s lives. We need fewer professional politicians and more people-ticians. To President Trump, let’s sit down and talk this out felon-to-felon, and figure this thing out for real working-class Americans.”
At Thursday’s press conference, former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said the funding halt reflected hostility toward New York’s diversity.
“I know it pains the White House and those who embrace white supremacy and the fallacy of white supremacy to see a thriving, inclusive, diverse city like New York thrive,” she said. “It is painful to them to see that success because it is built and it depends on Latinos, African Americans, immigrants from across the globe.”
Community Board 11 secretary Rosa Diaz read a statement describing the Second Avenue Subway expansion as a “multi-generational project.”
“Once complete, this vital infrastructure project will create an economic engine that will generate revenue for our nation, and again, secure New York and the nation’s place as one of the greatest drives of economic success in the world,” Diaz said.
Gov. Hochul said Wednesday’s move to suspend the $18 billion funding was another example of “political payback,” describing the measure as “an attack on New York and its residents.” amNewYork understands that the Office of the Attorney General is currently reviewing the legality of the decision to pause funding.
