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20 States File Suit to Reinstate FEMA’s Disaster Mitigation Grants

The coalition claims the April shutdown violated congressional funding mandates by overstepping the Constitution’s separation of powers.

A barricade blocks a road during heavy rains, Sunday, July 13, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A family walks by flood-damaged cars in North Plainfield, N.J., Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Overview

  • A coalition of 20 Democratic-led states filed the lawsuit in Boston federal court, seeking a preliminary injunction to compel FEMA to resume awards under its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program.
  • They argue the Trump administration’s abrupt April decision to shutter BRIC overstepped executive authority and violated congressional funding mandates governing FEMA’s disaster mitigation functions.
  • Since its launch in 2018 and a $1 billion boost in the 2021 Infrastructure Act, BRIC has funneled about $4.5 billion into nearly 2,000 pre-disaster mitigation projects nationwide.
  • The complaint alleges acting FEMA directors were improperly appointed and therefore lacked authority under federal law to terminate the program.
  • Officials warn that communities have been forced to delay, scale back or cancel hundreds of resilience projects, leaving them more exposed to floods and other natural hazards.