A federal judge has ruled in favor of Maine and 19 other states in a suit against the Trump administration over FEMA funding.

Maine Public reports that the states sued the administration this past July over the ending of FEMA’s “Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities” (BRIC) program.

The program was started in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and gave states funding for creating infrastructure to prepare for disasters like floodwalls and evacuation shelters.

The Trump administration canceled the funding this past April, with FEMA calling the program “ineffective, wasteful and politicized”.

The judge who overturned the cuts this past Thursday found that the President lacked the authority to terminate/redistribute the Congressionally funded program through executive orders.

“The BRIC program is designed to protect against natural disasters and save lives,” wrote U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in the decision. “It need not be said that the imminence of disasters is not deterred by bureaucratic obstruction.”

To read the original Maine Public article, click here.