The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has once again ordered work to stop on a project designed to stop invasive Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes, drawing frustration from state officials.
"Under my administration, Illinois has spearheaded this project to protect the entire Great Lakes region. Yet, the Trump administration repeatedly throws up roadblocks and has now ordered work to stop altogether with no explanations,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said in a release. “It's time for the Trump administration to uphold the federal government’s obligations, stop playing political games, and move this project forward.”
The Brandon Road Interbasin Project (BRIP) was designed to prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes, where scientists warn the voracious fish would have a devastating environmental impact. The project is located at a natural choke point near Joliet, Illinois, U.S.A., and incorporates several deterrents to prevent the carp from advancing into the lake system.
Though Trump has expressed verbal support for the project, this is the third time his government has abruptly stopped work on it without explanation.
Work on BRIP was initially paused in February 2025 as the Trump administration was freezing federal infrastructure spending. Local officials sought reassurance from the Trump administration that it would release congressionally authorized funding for the project, but development only moved forward after an April 2025 meeting between Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Trump, where the president expressed full verbal support for the project.
“It’s a very expensive thing – it costs a lot … but we have to save Lake Michigan because these fish, they eat everything in their way, even the other fish. They eat everything. Are people endangered by the fish?” Trump said.
The president subsequently issued a memo directing the federal government to streamline work on the project and “achieve maximum speed and efficiency.”
Despite that, work on BRIP was once again halted in December 2025 for an administrative review. Work was paused for months, and funding was only released following another visit from Whitmer to the White House. Trump, who has publicly feuded with Pritzker, also moved ownership of the project from Illinois to Michigan.
“I’m working with Governor Gretchen Whitmer on trying to save The Great Lakes from the rather violent and destructive Asian Carp, which is rapidly taking over Lake Michigan, and all of the beautiful surrounds,” Trump said. “This is on top of everything else I am doing. Only ‘TRUMP’ CAN DO IT!”
In May, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that construction was finally underway.
Now, the federal government has once again stopped work on the project without warning or notice. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the state was only made aware of the 24 July stop-work order after the fact by talking to contractors; no one in the federal government reached out ahead of time.
In a joint letter, four federal representatives from Michigan and Ohio asked the administration to let the project resume.
“Given the strong support for this project from President Trump, its non-federal sponsors, and the longstanding bipartisan support for its timely construction by Congress, as co-chairs of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force we respectfully urge you to lift the stop-work orders, conclude any additional administration review of BRIP, and release federal funds through the Army Corps of Engineers without any further delay,” the lawmakers said.
Advocates for the project say the delays only serve to drive up costs and give more time for carp to infiltrate the Great Lakes.
“There has been over a decade of planning and collaboration to advance the project, Congress already appropriated funds for Phase I construction, and every funding commitment has been met by the states involved,” Alliance for the Great Lakes President and CEO Joel Brammeier said in a release. “Time is of the essence. The problem with invasive species is that once they are established in the Great Lakes, it’s too late. The Brandon Road project is urgently needed to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes and causing irreversible harm.”
