• 20 states, led by Washington and Massachusetts, are suing the Trump administration over cuts to the BRIC program.
• The lawsuit claims the termination of the program violates congressional authority and separation of powers principles.
• States argue the elimination threatens hundreds of vital infrastructure projects aimed at disaster mitigation.
• FEMA described the program as "wasteful" yet has faced scrutiny over its disaster response actions.
• The plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction to reinstate the funding while the case is reviewed.

A coalition of 20 mostly Democrat-led U.S. states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block the termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which is crucial for disaster prevention funding. The states argue that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) unlawfully eliminated the program, infringing on the powers granted to Congress. This lawsuit was filed in federal court in Boston, echoing concerns raised during recent deadly floods in Texas that have prompted scrutiny of FEMA's responses and actions, according to HuffPost, The Hill, and Reuters.

The BRIC program was established in 2018 and has funded nearly 2,000 projects across various states, helping communities prepare for natural disasters. The states contend that the abrupt shutdown threatens projects that have seen significant investments of time and money from local governments. They argue that delaying or canceling these projects increases the risks for communities facing natural disasters. "Communities across the country are being forced to delay, scale back, or cancel hundreds of mitigation projects depending on this funding," the lawsuit states, as noted by CBS News and The Hill.

The lawsuit also highlights that the decision to terminate the BRIC program was made unilaterally and that the Trump administration lacked the authority to do so without congressional approval. This challenge is framed within the context of broader concerns over FEMA's funding and its management, as states seek to prevent what they view as detrimental actions to their disaster preparedness efforts. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell indicated that the shutdown represents an abandonment of support for local communities, according to HuffPost and Reuters.

Moreover, in addition to seeking to reinstate the BRIC program, the states have requested a preliminary injunction to prevent the federal government from reallocating FEMA funds that were meant for disaster mitigation. This legal action also represents a broader challenge to the Trump administration's policy decisions affecting disaster funding, which many of the same states have previously contested. Recent catastrophic events, particularly the significant deaths and damage from flooding in Texas, have underscored the need for robust disaster preparedness support, as pointed out by Reuters and CBS News.