DHS reassigns FEMA workers to immigration hiring push as hurricane season peaks
The Department of Homeland Security is reassigning about 100 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees to help hire thousands of new immigration officers, even as the busiest stretch of hurricane season begins.
Rebecca Beitsch reports for The Hill.
In short:
- DHS will temporarily detail FEMA human resources and security staff to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for 90 days to support hiring 10,000 new officers.
- The move affects about half of FEMA’s human resources team, which plays a key role in quickly bringing on local staff after disasters.
- FEMA is already short roughly 2,000 workers due to federal workforce cuts and resignations tied to possible agency restructuring.
Key quote:
“Their deployment will NOT disrupt FEMA’s critical operations. FEMA remains fully prepared for Hurricane Season.”
— Department of Homeland Security statement
Why this matters:
Hurricane season’s peak months often bring the most destructive storms, requiring FEMA to mobilize quickly and on a large scale. Shifting staff away from disaster preparedness, even temporarily, could hinder the agency’s ability to respond to major emergencies. FEMA’s human resources teams are essential for rapidly hiring temporary workers to aid in disaster recovery, and security staff are vital for protecting both personnel and infrastructure during crises. With FEMA already operating at reduced staffing levels, any loss of capacity raises concerns about how effectively the federal government can respond if multiple severe weather events strike in quick succession.
Related: FEMA staff cuts raise concerns about disaster response
