New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 20 other attorneys general and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, has succeeded in a lawsuit to stop the federal government from ending the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that the federal administration’s attempt to eliminate BRIC was unlawful and ordered that the program continue.
The BRIC program is FEMA’s largest disaster preparedness initiative, providing funding for infrastructure projects aimed at reducing risks from natural disasters. It supports improvements such as evacuation shelters, flood walls, protections for water and power systems, and upgrades to roads and bridges. Since its inception, BRIC has received bipartisan support and has distributed billions of dollars across all 50 states.
Attorney General James stated: “From devastating wildfires to record-breaking storms, communities across the country are facing threats from increasingly destructive natural disasters. The BRIC program helps states prepare for these disasters and save lives. This decision is a major victory for New Yorkers and millions across the country whose lives and livelihoods were put at risk by this administration’s reckless attempt to eliminate this program.”
In April 2025, the Trump administration terminated BRIC and redirected over $4 billion from FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation fund into post-disaster grants. Following this action, Attorney General James and her coalition filed suit against FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security in July 2025. A preliminary injunction had previously stopped dismantling efforts while litigation proceeded.
The recent court decision ensures that New York’s 38 BRIC projects totaling more than $380 million will remain funded. Of these projects, 19 are located in New York City, an area especially vulnerable to flooding.
Other parties joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit included attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington State, Wisconsin; the District of Columbia; as well as Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
