Government Judge Halts Trump Administration from Reducing FEMA Financing
In a significant move, a federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration, preventing the federal government from reallocating millions of dollars in disaster mitigation grants intended for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.
The BRIC program, with bipartisan support, is designed to protect lives and livelihoods from natural disasters such as flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, and more. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit against the Trump administration, stated that the federal government's failure to meet its obligations to the public could lead to devastating consequences, particularly for communities most vulnerable to natural disasters.
The legal challenge concerns the attempt to terminate and reallocate over $4 billion in unspent federal funds from FEMA’s BRIC program, which supports disaster mitigation projects. Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown, in a press release, said that FEMA's termination of BRIC defies both law and logic.
The lawsuit, filed by a coalition of 20 state attorneys general, alleges that the Trump administration violated federal law and the constitutional separation of powers by eradicating the BRIC program without Congressional approval. Bonta argued that shuttering the BRIC program would not prevent waste, fraud, and abuse or improve government efficiency.
Judge Richard G. Stearns, in his ruling, emphasised that terminating the program could cause serious harm to flood-prone and vulnerable communities, risking lives and infrastructure, especially given the increasing severity of natural disasters due to climate change. The court found that the states demonstrated a realistic existence of irreparable harm if funds were spent for other purposes and that FEMA’s termination of BRIC was not merely theoretical but concrete enough to warrant halting the reallocation.
As of late August 2025, the injunction remains in place while the lawsuit proceeds, preventing FEMA from moving BRIC funds to other uses. The court noted the government could request emergency use of the funds if an unprecedented disaster occurred during the injunction. However, no final judgment on the legality of terminating or reallocating the funds has been made yet.
The ruling keeps the BRIC program’s funding intact, at least temporarily, ensuring ongoing support for resilience projects nationwide. These projects are vital to prepare communities for more frequent and intense natural disasters. Without BRIC, many—likely most—of these projects will either falter or fail.
Stearns' decision will, at least temporarily, prevent the Trump administration from clawing back about $4 billion in BRIC-related funds. Bonta stated that the ruling is a significant step forward against an administration that routinely flouts the rule of law.
Politics and general news are abuzz with discussions about the court's decision to halt the federal government's policy-and-legislation regarding the reallocation of funds from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, a vital initiative for disaster mitigation and crime-and-justice matters that protect lives and livelihoods from natural disasters. The ongoing lawsuit, affecting war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice alike, alleges that the administration violated federal law and the separation of powers, highlighting the potential devastating consequences for flood-prone and vulnerable communities.
