The Weekly Wrap: Groups Sue To Prevent IRS From Disclosing Data to ICE

Welcome back to The Weekly Wrap, our Friday roundup of stories that explain the problems oppressing people in cities and elevate the solutions that bring us closer to economic, environmental and social justice. If you enjoy this newsletter, donate to Next City to help us continue this vital work!

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Groups Sue To Prevent IRS From Disclosing Data to ICE

The IRS was gearing up to help ICE officials locate immigrants that the agency is trying to deport, according to reporting from the New York Times. As of March 22, the IRS was close to finalizing an agreement with immigration officials.

Now, organizations represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group — including Inclusive Action for the City and Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, and Somos Un Pueblo Unido — are suing to prevent the IRS from disclosing this taxpayer data to ICE. Policymakers and privacy advocates argue that this use of IRS data would “undermine public trust in the tax system and violate privacy laws,” according to Truthout.

“The protections that are afforded to taxpayer records apply across the board,” Nandan Joshi, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group, told the outlet. “It doesn’t matter whether you are a legal citizen or undocumented, you are protected. The law doesn’t make distinctions there.”

Federal Judge Upholds New York City’s Ban on Gas in New Buildings

A win for climate-concerned cities: A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by trade groups that are against New York City’s ban on natural gas in new buildings, Grist reports. This comes after a 2023 ruling that struck down a gas ban in Berkeley, California, that led to other cities withdrawing or delaying putting similar laws in place. Last week’s ruling is seen as a win and encouragement for cities that want to ban gas in buildings.

“Now there’s something else to point to, and a good reason for hope for local governments that may have back-burnered their building electrification plans to bring those to the forefront again,” Amy Turner, director of the Cities Climate Law Initiative at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, told the outlet. In related news, Canary Media reports on how to decarbonize every building everywhere.

Jersey City Launches Battery Swapping Program for E-Bikes and Scooters

Jersey City has announced what it says is the first permanent municipal e-mobility battery swapping program in the U.S., Smart Cities Dive reports. The program, a collaboration with bicycle pod provider Ooonee, allows residents to swap dead e-mobility batteries for new ones at two stations in the city. These stations also provide parking and charging for e-bikes and scooters. Partners expect that the program will lead to safer and more convenient charging for riders.

Family Planning Grants Are on the Chopping Block

The Health and Human Services Department could freeze $27.5 million in federal family planning grants, while the agency investigates whether organizations that were slated to receive these dollars have in the past used grant dollars for diversity efforts, according to the Wall Street Journal. The potentially suspended funding is meant to support “pregnancy testing, provision of contraception, treatment of sexually transmitted infections and evaluation and counseling for infertility.” Affiliates of Planned Parenthood, which was a target in Trump’s first term, would be impacted by the freeze.

Researchers Identified U.S. Bridges With High Risk of Catastrophic Ship Strikes

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say that the Key Bridge disaster, which happened one year ago in Baltimore, was an event that should have been anticipated, Bloomberg CityLab reports. After the collision, researchers set out to see if the collapse was a rare occurrence and identify bridges across the country that may face similar risks. They found that over a dozen major bridges can expect a major boat collision within 100 years. They also identified the most vulnerable ones, the Huey P. Long Bridge outside New Orleans and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which they note are likely to be struck within about 20 years.

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MORE NEWS

• Another casualty of the federal government’s purge of publicly available data: efforts to find missing Native parents and kids. Imprint News

• Op-ed: Canada is poised to become a partner in the U.S. assault on immigrants. Truthout

• Philly mayor wants to defund a program that provides free transit passes for low-income people. Philadelphia Inquirer

• Congestion pricing is at risk. So is the MTA’s $68 billion plan. New York Times

• San Francisco officials see path for congestion pricing after NYC charges drivers. San Francisco Standard

• Workforce cuts to federal agencies will affect communities around the country. Urban Institute

• Will a new California law keep small LA businesses from closing? Los Angeles Public Press

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

• DEADLINE TODAY: The USC Annenberg Innovation Lab is looking for artists, creators, innovators, organizers, strategists and others working at the intersections of media, technology and culture for its Civic Media Fellowship. Apply by March 28.

• Smart Growth America has launched a free technical assistance program for community organizations interested in advancing equitable zoning and land use decisions to help decrease health inequities. Apply by March 31.

• The Rx Foundation has launched a new funding cycle for its Building Capacity for Health Advocacy grants. Submit a letter of interest by March 31.

• Propel Impact is accepting applications for its Impact Consulting Fellowship from Canadians outside of the Greater Toronto and Metro Vancouver areas. Apply by April 13.

• Fulbright New Zealand’s Ian Axford Fellowships in Public Policy program is accepting applications to help increase mutual understanding between America and New Zealand. Apply by April 22.

• O’Shaughnessy Ventures is accepting applications for its $100,000 one-year grant and fellowship program that unites the world’s boldest and undiscovered researchers, builders and creatives to find, build and spread new ideas. Apply by April 30.

• The Livable Communities Initiative, Arnold Ventures and partners have launched a National Single-Stair Competition. Submit your design by June 30.

• Check out Next City’s jobs board for new opportunities.

EVENTS

• April 3 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern: The Harvard Graduate School of Design is hosting U.K. social housing architect Peter Barber for its annual John T. Dunlop Lecture. Attend in-person and virtually.

• April 22 at 10 a.m. Pacific: UC Berkeley’s Terner Center is hosting a webinar on how permanent supportive housing providers can use California’s CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) funding to expand their services.