A Massachusetts judge ruled that the Trump administration must continue a program meant to protect communities from natural disasters following a lawsuit from Colorado and other Democratic-led states.

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program provides states with funding to proactively make their community infrastructure more defensible against natural disasters. Twenty states in July sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for shutting down the BRIC program. Phil Weiser, the Colorado attorney general, is one of the plaintiffs.

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U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns ordered FEMA to continue to program and restore funding that helps communities protect critical infrastructure. Funding from the BRIC supported the Gold Hill Pipeline Project west of Greeley to address water supply disruptions that could arise from wildfires, floods and other natural disasters.

Weiser’s office cited a study that found every dollar FEMA spends on pre-disaster mitigation efforts saves an average of $6 in post-disaster costs.

“Natural disasters are not random occurrences in Colorado. We must prepare for them, and do everything we can to protect our communities,” Weiser, a Democrat who is running for governor in 2026, said in a statement. “This funding saves lives. It’s as simple as that. The Trump administration’s withholding of such critical funding is both illegal and immoral, and that’s why we sued to stop this action and ensure we received the funds.”

The federal government declining to provide funds puts the continued existence of state projects at risk, Stearns said, therefore adding additional risk of severe destruction from natural disasters. He said Homeland Security can recommend that Congress abolish the program, but because it was put in place by Congress, the Trump administration does not have the authority to abruptly stop it.