SEATTLE — A federal judge today barred the Trump administration from spending disaster mitigation funds tied to a program the president illegally shut down as the court considers a lawsuit brought by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and 19 other states.

The states sued in July after the administration shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s bipartisan program to protect communities from natural disasters before they strike, known as Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC). The states requested and the judge granted an order barring the government from spending those funds for non-BRIC purposes until the court can issue a final judgment.

The coalition of attorneys general argues FEMA’s decision to abruptly terminate the BRIC program is in direct violatio

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