The state Department of Human Services will have to shut down its ongoing relief efforts for 4,431 remaining survivors of the 2023 Maui wildfires on April 4 unless the Federal Emergency Management Agency lifts a funding freeze, according to a federal lawsuit filed by attorneys general from both Republican and Democratic states.
The lawsuit, filed Monday against President Donald Trump in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, represents the latest effort by states challenging Trump administration policies that include canceling federal funding for a long list of programs that effect red and blue states alike, including continued funding for Maui relief.
The Trump administration had not filed a response to the latest lawsuit by Tuesday.
It was filed by attorneys general from 24 states including Hawaii, California New York — and Michigan and Minnesota, which both voted for Trump in 2024, along with reliably conservative Arizona.
They asked the court to further enforce its preliminary injunction issued March 6 preventing FEMA from continuing to freeze funds already promised to their states.
FEMA discontinued its funding as of Feb. 7.
“The Court’s intervention is necessary because, following the Court’s March 6 order, Plaintiff States have continued to experience significant obstacles to accessing federal funds,” according to the lawsuit. “This is so despite the Court’s direction to Defendants to file a status report on or before March 14, 2025, informing the Court of the status of their compliance with the March 6 Order. … Plaintiff States will need to wind down important programmatic emergency services, including disaster relief to people and communities affected by the Maui wildfires, in short order if funding is not immediately unfrozen.”
Trista Speer, deputy director of the state Department of Human Services, attached an exhibit to the lawsuit detailing the effects on survivors of the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires if FEMA funding remains frozen, beginning April 4.
More than 120 disaster case managers, Speer wrote, “work with survivors to create unique disaster recovery plans that are individualized to each household, and include resources, decision-making priorities, guidance, and tools. The DCMs act as a ‘quarterback’ to help survivors navigate their recovery and work with the myriad of resources available to meet their needs.”
Since November 2023 the program has helped more than 6,300 Maui survivors, Speer wrote.
FEMA had promised over $25.2 million from August 2023 through Aug. 10, 2025, for the Maui relief program.
But a Hawaii request Friday for $5.7 million remains under review, along with other previous funding requests.
“Based upon the unprecedented delay in approvals, it appears to me that the disbursement of federal funds for the DCMP has been paused, frozen, blocked, suspended, or otherwise impeded by FEMA,” Speer wrote. “The state intends to submit another drawdown request on or about March 21, 2025, for approximately $463,550 to cover additional essential expenses associated with the DCMP.”
DHS’ budget relies on FEMA funding for continued Maui staffing and other needs to help wildfire survivors, such as telecommunications equipment and contracts with nonprofit organizations for disaster case management services, Speer wrote.
“The uncertainty of funding for this program has irreparably harmed this program in multiple ways, including: (1) our ability to hire additional staff and service providers as approved in the budget to meet the demand and capacity needed for these services for survivors; (2) our ability to timely cover expenses incurred by this program; (3) our ability to cover payroll for state employees hired and completely funded by these grant funds; and (4) our ability to provide assurances to the thousands of survivors served by this program that this critical assistance will continue as originally promised by FEMA,” Speer wrote.
