Twenty Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), contesting the agency’s recent decision to eliminate a long-standing grant program aimed at helping communities mitigate damage from natural disasters.
The program in question is the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), which was terminated by President Donald Trump’s administration in April.
The lawsuit claims that the administration acted illegally by shutting down the BRIC program, especially after funding had been allocated by Congress for ongoing projects and new applications.
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell of Massachusetts highlighted the urgency of the program, stating, “In the wake of devastating flooding in Texas and other states, it’s clear just how critical federal resources are in helping states prepare for and respond to natural disasters.”
She further emphasized that by discontinuing the BRIC program, the administration is abandoning communities that rely on federal assistance to protect their residents and save lives during disasters.
FEMA has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit. However, it previously cited the program as “wasteful and ineffective,” accusing it of prioritizing political agendas over the assistance of Americans affected by natural disasters.
The BRIC program, established by law in 2000, offers financial support for various disaster mitigation efforts.
These efforts include building levees to protect against floods, creating safe rooms for tornado protection, managing vegetation to prevent fire damage, and retrofitting buildings for earthquake resistance.
During his presidency, Trump initially signed legislation to boost funding for disaster risk reduction efforts.
Following this, former President Joe Biden signed an infrastructure law that allocated an additional $1 billion to the BRIC program and mandated that FEMA provide at least $200 million annually for disaster mitigation grants from 2022 through 2026.
The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration breached the constitutional separation of powers by not obtaining congressional authorization for the program’s termination.
It also claims the cancellation was unlawful because it occurred while FEMA was being led by an acting administrator who did not possess the necessary qualifications to oversee the agency.
According to the lawsuit, federal disaster mitigation grants have been vital for communities across all states, playing a crucial role in saving lives and protecting homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools from substantial damage.
The impacts of the program’s termination are already being felt in some communities.
In Hillsborough, North Carolina, nearly $7 million had been designated for relocating a wastewater pumping station from a flood plain and enhancing local water and sewer systems. This funding had not yet been put into action when Tropical Storm Chantal damaged the pumping station, putting the community at risk.
Moreover, in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, officials had been counting on receiving over $4 million from the BRIC program to improve stormwater drainage and strengthen an electric system vulnerable to natural disasters.
Despite the town’s general support for Trump, assistant town manager Erin Burris noted that property owners and local officials felt unprepared for the loss of funding.
“I’ve had downtown property owners saying, ‘What do we do?’” Burris remarked, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the engineering plans now rendered unfeasible without the necessary financial support.
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