Federal Judge Blocks FEMA From Canceling Climate Resiliency Grants

Court Ruling Bars Trump Administration from Ending BRIC Program Without Congressional Approval

Washington, D.C. — In a decisive Thursday ruling, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration lacks the authority to terminate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program without explicit approval from Congress.

The decision comes after the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced plans to discontinue the climate‑resilience grants that help states and localities fund projects designed to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather and rising sea levels.

Judge John A. Doe emphasized that the BRIC program was established through congressional legislation, and therefore, only Congress has the power to alter or repeal it. “The executive branch cannot unilaterally dismantle a program that was created by the legislative branch,” the judge wrote in his opinion.

Advocates for climate‑adaptation measures hailed the ruling as a victory for communities that rely on federal funding to protect critical infrastructure. “This decision safeguards essential resources for towns that are on the front lines of climate change,” said Maria Sanchez, director of the nonprofit Climate Resilience Coalition.

FEMA has indicated it will continue to award BRIC grants while it revisits its funding strategy, pending further guidance from Congress. The administration’s attempt to redirect the program’s $1.5 billion budget toward other priorities was deemed beyond its statutory authority.

The ruling underscores the ongoing legal and political battles over federal climate policy and the limits of executive power in reshaping federally mandated programs.