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FEMA staffing cuts ruled unlawful by federal judge
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration’s plan to reduce the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workforce by approximately 50 percent was unlawful. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston determined that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” by usurping FEMA’s authority over its own personnel decisions.
The ruling found that DHS violated the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2005, which prohibits the department from significantly reducing FEMA’s authorities, responsibilities, or functions. Specifically, the court noted that DHS improperly revoked FEMA’s ability to renew contracts for the Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) teams, which constitute about 40 percent of the agency’s workforce.
Judge Illston also rebuked officials for deleting Signal messages that could have served as evidence in the lawsuit. While the 50 percent staffing cuts were ultimately not fully implemented and some employees have since been rehired, the court’s decision marks a significant legal victory for labor groups, including the American Federation of Government Employees. A separate ruling regarding legal remedies and penalties is expected next month.
Entities
American Federation of Government Employees · Democracy Forward · Department of Homeland Security · Donald Trump · FEMA · Kristi Noem · Susan Illston
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 18 SOURCES] The ruling violates a federal law passed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from significantly reducing FEMA’s authorities or functions. 24-ore.com · arynews.tv · javanews.al · www.diebewertung.de · internewscast.com · +13 more
- [● 18 SOURCES] Plaintiffs argued that the cuts were not approved by Congress and would undermine FEMA’s core disaster-response mission. arynews.tv · www.diebewertung.de · 24-ore.com · internewscast.com · www.haberaktuel.com · +13 more
- [● 18 SOURCES] A separate ruling regarding legal remedies and penalties will be addressed next month. 24-ore.com · arynews.tv · javanews.al · www.diebewertung.de · internewscast.com · +13 more
- [● 18 SOURCES] The Department of Homeland Security usurped FEMA’s authority over its own personnel and directed the agency to cut thousands of disaster-response jobs. 24-ore.com · arynews.tv · javanews.al · www.diebewertung.de · internewscast.com · +13 more
- [● 18 SOURCES] The decision did not include immediate remedies, penalties, or a permanent block on all future staffing reductions. arynews.tv · www.diebewertung.de · 24-ore.com · internewscast.com · www.haberaktuel.com · +13 more
- [● 18 SOURCES] Judge Susan Illston ruled that the Trump administration violated federal law by ordering FEMA to cut its workforce by approximately 50 percent. 24-ore.com · arynews.tv · javanews.al · www.diebewertung.de · internewscast.com · +13 more