Judge Blocks Trump Administration Plan to Cut FEMA Workforce in Half

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it moved to cut the Federal Emergency Management Agency's workforce by about half. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said the Department of Homeland Security went beyond its authority by taking control of FEMA's personnel decisions and pushing thousands of disasterresponse jobs off the rolls. The dispute centers on a federal law passed after Hurricane Katrina that says DHS cannot substantially reduce FEMA's powers, responsibilities, or functions. Illston wrote that the record did not show a reasoned basis for the staffing changes, including the decision to stop renewing temporary contracts for thousands of reservists who help respond to disasters. The ruling did not impose a remedy or penalty immediately. The judge said further briefing will be submitted by Oct. 9 on what relief is still needed, with a separate decision expected next month. Union groups that challenged the policy argued the cuts would weaken FEMA's core mission and were ordered without proper approval from Congress or FEMA leadership. The case also drew attention to the use of the Signal messaging app by FEMA and DHS officials to discuss staffing reductions. Illston said deleted messages would be treated as unfavorable to the government because they likely contained evidence relevant to the lawsuit.