SAN FRANCISCO — September 13, 2026. A federal judge has ruled that the Department of Homeland Security acted unlawfully when it directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reduce its workforce by 50 percent.
The proposed reduction was part of the administration’s broader effort to shrink the federal workforce. According to the ruling, senior DHS officials pushed the 50 percent figure despite objections from FEMA leaders and without demonstrating a planning process tied to the agency’s emergency responsibilities.
The cut was never fully completed. However, a Government Accountability Office review found that approximately 17 percent of FEMA’s workforce left during 2025. Investigators warned that the departures reduced institutional knowledge at an agency responsible for coordinating federal assistance after hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other disasters.
Why the court intervened
The judge cited legal protections adopted after Hurricane Katrina that limit the government’s ability to substantially reduce FEMA’s responsibilities without congressional authorization. Labor organizations, including the American Federation of Government Employees, argued that allowing thousands of temporary disaster-response contracts to expire would weaken the agency’s ability to respond quickly.
FEMA says it remains focused on workforce stability and disaster preparedness. Some previously terminated workers have been rehired, but the agency’s long-term staffing level has not been settled.
What happens next
The court ordered the parties to negotiate an appropriate remedy. The decision establishes that the staffing directive was unlawful, but it does not automatically determine how many employees FEMA must retain or restore.
Sources: Associated Press, September 13, 2026; Reuters.