The Trump administration is facing a lawsuit from 20 states seeking to block its decision to cancel FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation grant program, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC). The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Boston, alleges that the administration unlawfully terminated the program and violated constitutional separation of powers by refusing to allocate funds that Congress had already approved.
FEMA announced in April that it was shutting down BRIC and voiding all grant applications from fiscal years 2020–2023. A now-deleted post described the program as “wasteful” and “politicized,” stating that FEMA was returning to its core mission of post-disaster recovery.
The lawsuit, led by Massachusetts and Washington, argues the cancellation has derailed hundreds of local hazard mitigation projects, including some in late-stage development. States claim the move puts communities at greater risk as climate-related disasters escalate. The complaint names FEMA, acting administrator David Richardson, the Department of Homeland Security, and Secretary Kristi Noem.
The 20 plaintiff states are predominantly Democratic-led and include California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. DHS and FEMA have not responded to requests for comment. Background on BRIC’s legislative origins can be found via Congressional Research Service.
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