New York Attorney General Sues Trump Administration Over Federal Emergency Management Agency Program Termination

Strategic Insights -

New York Attorney General Letitia James has joined a coalition of 19 other states in suing the Trump administration over the termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, a FEMA initiative that provides critical infrastructure to protect communities from natural disasters. Since the 1990s, FEMA has provided billions of dollars to state and local governments to support infrastructure improvements to prepare for disasters before they happen. The BRIC program has received bipartisan support and funded projects in all 50 states, but the administration abruptly terminated it in April 2025, jeopardizing billions of dollars intended to help communities prepare for disasters nationwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • The BRIC program provides financial and technical assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to implement new measures that protect communities from natural disasters.
  • Over the past four years, FEMA has selected nearly 2,000 projects from every corner of the country to receive roughly $4.5 billion in funding, with coastal communities receiving the largest allocations due to unique threats they face.
  • New York has 38 BRIC projects throughout the state totaling over $380 million that are all in jeopardy as a result of the termination of the program, including $50 million for the Central Harlem Cloudburst Flood Mitigation Project.
  • BRIC funds have helped avoid over $150 billion in costs and saved lives in communities throughout the country, with studies showing that each dollar spent on mitigation saves an average of $6 in post-disaster costs.
  • Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the abrupt termination of BRIC is unconstitutional and illegal, citing Congressionally-appropriated funds and the lack of authority of the Trump administration to alter FEMA's mission or reduce its ability to carry out core functions.
  • The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to prevent the Trump Administration from spending BRIC funds on other purposes and a permanent injunction to reverse the termination of the BRIC program and require the restoration of critical funds to the communities relying on them.

Statistics:

  • Since the 1990s, FEMA has provided billions of dollars to state and local governments to support infrastructure improvements to prepare for disasters before they happen.
  • Over the past four years, FEMA has selected nearly 2,000 projects from every corner of the country to receive roughly $4.5 billion in funding.
  • New York has 38 BRIC projects throughout the state totaling over $380 million that are all in jeopardy as a result of the termination of the program.
  • BRIC funds have helped avoid over $150 billion in costs and saved lives in communities throughout the country.
  • Each dollar spent on mitigation saves an average of $6 in post-disaster costs, with some investments saving even more.

Sources:

  • "New York Attorney General Sues Trump Administration Over FEMA Program Termination." Office of the New York Attorney General.
  • "Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program." Federal Emergency Management Agency.
  • "Coalition Sues Trump Administration Over Termination of FEMA Program." Associated Press.