Press releases

Under President Trump ICE Arrests Have Increased by 627%

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of Public Affairs Under President Trump ICE Arrests Have Increased by 627% “Hundreds of thousands of criminals were let into this country illegally. We are sending them home, and they will never be allowed to return.” - Secretary Noem WASHINGTON -- Today, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that in a single month under President Trump, more than 20,000 illegal aliens were arrested . That’s a 627% increase in monthly arrests, compared to just 33,000 at large arrests under Biden for ALL of last year. A statement from Secretary Noem is below: "President Trump and this Administration are saving lives every day because of the actions we are taking to secure the border and deport illegal alien criminals. Hundreds of thousands of criminals were let into this country illegally. We are sending them home, and they will never be allowed to return.” # # #

GAO Urges Attention to 2025 “High Risk List” to Save Billions and Improve Government Efficiency and Effectiveness

WASHINGTON (February 25, 2025) The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) today issued its updated High Risk List, which identifies 38 areas of government operations with serious vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or in…

A Warning from GAO – America’s Fiscal Health at Risk

WASHINGTON (February 5, 2025) As the federal government’s publicly held debt continues to grow, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) today issued its annual report on the nation's fiscal health. The report again warns Congress and…

GAO Calls for Urgent Action to Address IT Acquisition and Management Challenges

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 23, 2025) The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) today issued a report updating its IT acquisitions and operations high-risk area. In this update, GAO identified major challenges to federal IT acquisitions and…

FTA Announces Projects Selected for $1.25 Million in Transit Experience Research Grants

Today, FTA announced the selection of Monterey-Salinas Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to receive a share of $1.25 million in Enhancing Mobility Innovation (EMI) grants to research, develop, and demonstrate new approaches and tools to improve the transit rider experience. Monterey-Salinas Transit will receive $449,860 to demonstrate an innovative method to verify the eligibility for rider discounts in contactless payment systems. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will receive $804,586 to retrofit electric buses with automated driving features that enable more buses to travel more frequently in exclusive bus lanes to improve safety, efficiency, and capacity. FTA’s EMI program supports innovation in mobility that meets the evolving needs of transit riders; advances equitable and climate-smart transportation; and improves public transportation. Key findings and practices from both projects will be used to inform and encourage similar innovations nationwide. Links : Enhancing Mobility Innovation program

FTA Announces $79.7 Million Grant for New Bus Rapid Transit Line in King County, WA

FTA yesterday announced a $79.7 million construction grant to King County Metro to support a bus rapid transit line that will provide fast, frequent, and reliable service between the cities of Renton, Auburn, and Kent, located south of Seattle. The grant for the new RapidRide I Line, which will feature rebranded “green” hybrid electric buses, was funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. King County’s RapidRide I Line will improve travel times and the rider experience over a heavily traveled King County Metro bus line by providing nearly two miles of exclusive bus-only lanes and transit signal priority. The BRT will also include off-board fare payment, all-door boarding, and weekday service every 10 to 15 minutes during the day. The 17-mile route will have 41 new stations and will improve rider connections in the regional system, including the RapidRide F Line, Sound Transit buses, and Sounder commuter rail. The I Line will be the 10th to open as part of the RapidRide network, adding to a robust regional BRT system with current daily ridership of about 63,000 trips. The federal support for the estimated $168.5 million project comes from FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program , which helps communities carry out transformational transit projects. Links : Press Release Capital Investments Grant (CIG) Program

Ongoing Weaknesses Prevent GAO from Providing Opinion on U.S. Government's Financial Statements

WASHINGTON (January 16, 2025) – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was unable to provide an opinion on the reliability of the federal government's consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 2024 and 2023. This year's audit…

FTA Announces 26 Tribes and Alaska Native Villages Will Receive $9.6 Million in Transit Grants from the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Today, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced $9.6 million in grants to support and improve transit for 26 American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native communities. The grants, awarded through FTA’s competitive Tribal Transit program, will help improve transit service for tribes that operate or plan to operate transit service in order to get their riders to jobs, school, and other opportunities. FTA's Tribal Transit Program supports public transportation provided by federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages, including rides for older adults and people with disabilities. Links : News Release Project Selections Tribal Transit Program

FTA Announces $22.2 Million Capital Grant to Monterey-Salinas Transit to Support Bus Rapid Transit

FTA today announced a $22.2 million Small Starts Construction Grant with Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) to support the new SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The construction grant will enable MST to build a six-mile dedicated busway as part of a 20-mile planned BRT route that will connect Monterey to Salinas. SURF!’s dedicated busway will run along a path replacing railroad rails, parallel to California Highway 1. SURF! riders will avoid sections of heavy traffic along Highway 1, saving riders up to 15 minutes of travel time. In addition to the dedicated busway, the BRT project will include new stops serving Marina, Sand City, and Seaside, including a new multimodal mobility hub in the former Fort Ord redevelopment area, bicycle and pedestrian access improvements, and transit signal priority along part of the route. The total project is estimated to cost $100.5 million. Federal support for the project comes from FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program , which helps communities implement transformational transit projects. Links : Press Release Capital Investments Grant (CIG) Program

FTA Announces Close to $150 Million in Funding to Support New Bus Rapid Transit Line in Indianapolis

FTA today announced a grant award of $149.9 million to the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) to help fund construction of the Blue Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Central Indiana. The 24-mile BRT line will provide fast and frequent public transportation along one of Marion County, Indiana's main east-west travel corridors. The corridor serves over 28 million visitors for conventions, meetings, and events and supports approximately 150,000 jobs. The project includes 12 miles of dedicated bus-only lanes in the urban core, helping speed riders on their way. The corridor encompasses some of the region’s largest trip generators, including downtown Indianapolis, the State Capitol, the airport, and the Indianapolis Zoo. The Blue Line will also stop at three high schools and several planned redevelopment areas. The project includes 60-foot hybrid buses, helping improve air quality. With more than 45,000 people within walking distance of a station in the corridor, service will operate 20 hours per weekday, with frequent service. The federal support for the estimated $396 million project comes from FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program , which helps communities carry out transformational transit projects. Links : Press release Capital Investment Grants program

Register for Capital Investment Grants Policy Guidance webinars (Jan. 14-15)

FTA's Office of Planning and Environment will host a two-part overview of the recently published Capital Investment Grants Program Policy Guidance . Join us on January 14 and 15, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET for two different Zoom webinars. Separate registrations are required for each. Time will be allowed at the end of each webinar for interactive questions and answers. The webinars will also be recorded and posted on the FTA website for later viewing by anyone unable to attend. January 14, 2024 | 1:00 p.m. Register January 15, 2024 | 1:00 p.m. Register Links : Capital Investment Grants Program Policy Guidance January 14 Webinar Registration January 15 Webinar Registration

Register for Capital Investment Grants Policy Guidance webinars (Jan. 14-15)

FTA's Office of Planning and Environment will host a two-part overview of the recently published Capital Investment Grants Program Policy Guidance . Join us on January 14 and 15, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET for two different Zoom webinars. Separate registrations are required for each. Time will be allowed at the end of each webinar for interactive questions and answers. The webinars will also be recorded and posted on the FTA website for later viewing by anyone unable to attend. January 14, 2024 | 1:00 p.m. Register January 15, 2024 | 3:00 p.m. Register Links : Capital Investment Grants Program Policy Guidance January 14 Webinar Registration January 15 Webinar Registration