Attorney General Kris Mayes of Arizona, along with a coalition of 20 states, has won a lawsuit against the Trump Administration regarding its attempt to end the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The BRIC program is intended to help communities prepare for natural disasters before they occur.
“We’re winning case after case as we protect Arizonans from harm and rising prices that the Trump administration continues to illegally pursue,” said Attorney General Mayes. “Arizonans will notice this victory the next time a wildfire or flood hits — thanks to the work of those in my office, our state will be prepared.”
The BRIC program has been active for about three decades, offering support nationwide to strengthen infrastructure in advance of natural disasters. The focus on mitigation aims to save lives and property by helping governments at different levels prevent disaster damage rather than only dealing with recovery afterward.
Arizona was set to receive BRIC grants for 25 projects totaling $9.8 million. Of that amount, around $1.2 million would cover state salaries and management costs, while the rest would fund key mitigation efforts. These included a $4.6 million project in Buckeye designed to reduce flood risks by improving drainage systems and building retention basins, as well as an $860,000 project in Camp Verde to secure a major roadway used by emergency vehicles.
After Hurricane Katrina, Congress required FEMA to carry out four main functions: mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery. The BRIC program serves as FEMA’s central effort for mitigation projects. Research indicates that each dollar spent on such projects saves an average of six dollars in post-disaster expenses.
BRIC funding is often directed toward projects that are otherwise difficult to finance—such as building evacuation shelters and flood walls, protecting utility grids from wildfires, securing water infrastructure, and reinforcing bridges and roadways.
The court ruled that FEMA’s attempt to halt the BRIC program violated congressional authority since Congress had funded it specifically for these purposes. The judge found that FEMA’s actions also breached constitutional principles including Separation of Powers and clauses related to appropriations and spending.
As a result of this decision, FEMA must continue the BRIC program and restore funding for communities relying on it.
The lawsuit was co-led by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, with support from attorneys general in several other states including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin as well as the governor of Pennsylvania.
