US Judge Rules Trump Administration Plan to Halve FEMA Workforce Illegal

A federal judge in Northern California ruled that a Trump administration order to cut the Federal Emergency Management Agency staffing by nearly half was illegal. US District Judge Susan Illston stated that the Department of Homeland Security acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it revoked the authority of FEMA to renew contracts for the Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery teams. These CORE workers represent about 40 percent of the FEMA workforce and are often the first federal responders during hurricanes and other large disasters.

The dispute centered on a 2006 law stating that the homeland security secretary may not substantially or significantly reduce the authorities, responsibilities, or functions of FEMA. While the Trump administration argued that the agency was bloated, partisan, and ineffective, the court found no evidence of a reasoned decision for the DHS to limit contract renewals to 180 days or to let contracts lapse to force employees out. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report had previously found that the agency faced a staffing shortfall of more than 6,000 employees.

Judge Illston also criticized former acting FEMA head Karen Evans and former DHS deputy chief of staff Joseph Guy for using the secure messaging app Signal. The judge found that Evans intentionally used auto delete features for messages that appeared highly relevant to the case, which violated federal law and department policy. A FEMA spokesperson stated that the agency continues to maintain a roster of experienced staff and is working to make the agency leaner and faster.