Judge Rules against Trump's FEMA Staffing Cuts

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration acted unlawfully by ordering FEMA to slash its workforce, violating a law that protects FEMA's operational independence. The court found insufficient justification for the cuts which threaten the agency's disaster-response capabilities, with remedies to be decided next month.

A U.S. judge has determined that the Trump administration violated the law by directing FEMA to significantly reduce its workforce, a move that undermines the agency's disaster-response responsibilities. The ruling emerged from a lawsuit filed by unions challenging the legality of the workforce reductions.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled that the Department of Homeland Security overstepped its authority by intervening in FEMA's personnel matters. A law enacted post-Hurricane Katrina prohibits substantial reduction of FEMA's core responsibilities, which DHS infringed upon, halting contract renewals for disaster-response reservists.

The ruling did not prescribe penalties, which are to be addressed in a forthcoming decision. The unions argue the cuts weaken FEMA's mission and were unauthorized by Congress. Officials have not yet commented on the verdict, while Democracy Forward applauded the decision.