The White House on Friday said it is withholding $2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects, including the CTA’s Red Line extension, as President Donald Trump escalates his fight with the city and follows through on his threat to punish Democrats over the government shutdown.

White House budget director Russ Vought wrote on social media that he was specifically targeting the Red Line South Side project as well as the Red and Purple Line modernization project , “to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting.”

Chicago Democrats railed on the decision, with Sen. Dick Durbin calling it an illegal freeze. Gov. JB Pritzker accused Trump of “holding bipartisan funding hostage” and hurting hardworking people. And Mayor Brandon Johnson said the president is “cutting the service

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