North Carolina and 11 other states have won a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency over millions of dollars in grants they said the Trump administration was withholding.
The funding — through the Emergency Management Performance Grant and the Homeland Security Grant Program — helps states prepare for emergencies.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined the other states in filing the lawsuit against FEMA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in November.
“The court saw through FEMA’s attempt to break the law and deny money that North Carolina relies on to respond to hurricanes, natural disasters, and other emergencies,” Jackson said in a statement Monday. “Our state is going to get back the $17 million that Congress promised so that our emergency responders and law enforcement officers are ready to respond to the next crisis.”
The states argued in the lawsuit that new terms imposed by the Trump administration on grant recipients were unlawful and had not been approved by Congress. For example, the administration changed the requirements so that states had to certify their population does not include “individuals that have been removed from the State pursuant to” federal immigration laws.
The judge agreed with the Plaintiffs that the administration overstepped its authority and that its actions were “arbitrary and capricious.”
The grants help pay the salaries of nearly 100 state emergency management workers. They also help fund local law enforcement and terrorism prevention efforts.
During Hurricane Helene, the state of North Carolina used the funds to “activate and deploy trained emergency management personnel before and during the storm, coordinate lifesaving rescue operations and shelters, and continue to operate during widespread power and communications outages,” according to Jackson’s office.
The lawsuit is the second victory by states against FEMA in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a court ordered the agency to reinstate millions of dollars in climate resiliency grants, including $200 million for North Carolina.
