A woman packing up her office belongings in a cardboard box.

FEMA places staff on leave after internal protest over agency cuts

Some Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) employees were placed on administrative leave after signing a letter criticizing staff reductions and policy changes that they say threaten the agency’s ability to respond to disasters.

Gabriela Aoun Angueira reports for The Associated Press.

In short:

Over 180 current and former FEMA workers signed a dissent letter, with 35 attaching their names and 141 signing anonymously due to fear of retaliation.
The letter objects to multiple Trump administration policies, including a rule requiring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to approve FEMA contracts over $100,000 and the reassignment of FEMA personnel to ICE.
At least two employees who signed the letter received notices placing them on paid administrative leave, although FEMA did not clarify how many were affected or whether the action was linked to the letter.

Key quote:

“It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform.”

— Daniel Llargues, FEMA spokesperson

Why this matters:

FEMA is the nation’s front-line agency for disaster response, yet it has long struggled with funding gaps, understaffing, and political interference. The Trump administration's shift toward tighter control over FEMA contracts and the diversion of agency personnel to other departments like ICE raise concerns about the agency’s readiness to manage escalating climate-driven disasters. As extreme weather events increase in frequency and severity — wildfires, floods, hurricanes — strong emergency infrastructure becomes not just a safety net but a lifeline. Staff reductions and policy redirection could compromise FEMA’s ability to act quickly and effectively, putting vulnerable communities at greater risk. When internal dissent is met with administrative leave, it may discourage transparency just when oversight is most needed.

apnews.com

FEMA places staff on leave after internal protest over agency cuts

Federal judge orders closure of Everglades ICE detention site built without tribal consent

Disaster aid cuts raise fears of post-Katrina failures as hurricane risks grow

Residents near Lahaina wildfire zone show signs of toxic exposure despite official cleanup

Trump-era staff cuts strain Yosemite rangers as summer crowds surge

U.S. solar construction surges ahead of looming policy shift

Climate change is reshaping outdoor life as Americans feel the heat

Trump administration faces backlash over efforts to weaken climate science finding

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.