25 States Sue Trump Administration Over $148 Million Disaster Aid Freeze for Election Demands
Updated
Updated · Democracy Docket · Jul 23
25 States Sue Trump Administration Over $148 Million Disaster Aid Freeze for Election Demands
3 articles · Updated · Democracy Docket · Jul 23
Summary
$148 million in FEMA disaster grant funding is at stake after 25 states and Washington, D.C., sued in Rhode Island, saying the administration unlawfully tied aid to election-system changes.
A July 9 DHS directive said FEMA would withhold 20% of disaster grants until states proved compliance with demands including SAVE-based citizenship checks, hand-marked paper ballots and post-election manual audits.
The complaint says the threatened cuts would hit core disaster work such as flood and earthquake mitigation and wildfire management, while also pressuring states to cooperate with Trump's immigration agenda.
The states argue Congress gave neither DHS nor FEMA authority to rewrite election rules or attach these conditions to funding, and they want a judge to block the policy under constitutional and administrative law.
When federal security funds come with election mandates, what are a state's options?
Could mandated voting changes and citizenship checks introduce new risks for elections?
Unstable Ground: The 2025 BRIC Program Termination, Legal Reinstatement, and Lingering Vulnerabilities in U.S. Disaster Mitigation
Overview
In April 2025, the Trump administration abruptly terminated the BRIC program, freezing around 2,000 disaster mitigation projects nationwide. This led a coalition of 22 states and D.C. to sue the federal government, sparking a lengthy legal battle. Despite ongoing court proceedings and pressure from state officials, FEMA did not restart the program until a court order in July 2026 mandated its reinstatement. Although the BRIC program has now relaunched, communities still face uncertainty about when previously awarded grant funds will be distributed, highlighting ongoing challenges in disaster resilience and federal support.