20 US states sue Trump administration for pulling disaster funds

WASHINGTON -- Twenty US states — most of them led by Democrats — sued the administration of President Donald Trump on Wednesday for pulling funding for disaster relief.

The group filed a suit that aimed to block the Trump administration from halting billions of US dollars in grants, destined for paying upgrades to infrastructure projects meant to defend against natural disasters.

The lawsuit was filed in the federal court in Boston. It alleges that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had no authority to terminate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program in April, after the program was given the green light by Congress.

FEMA has come under the microscope for the organization's response to the recent floods in the state of Texas, which have so far resulted in over 130 deaths.