FEMA Suspends Employees Critical of Trump Administration Cuts

Sun Dec 07 2025 01:34:23 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has suspended multiple staff members who signed an open letter criticizing budget cuts and operational changes made under President Donald Trump, signals a controversial stance towards federal disaster preparedness.

FEMA has reportedly placed more than 20 employees on administrative leave after they signed an open letter condemning budget cuts and potential impacts on disaster responses under President Trump's administration. The letter, referencing the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, warns that the agency's direction could lead to another national catastrophe. The suspensions have raised questions about FEMA's operational integrity, particularly during a notably challenging hurricane season influenced by climate change.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reportedly suspended a number of staff who criticized the agency's direction under US President Donald Trump.

The staff are said to have been among those who recently signed an open letter that castigated Trump officials over cuts and alleged interference, warning that another 'national catastrophe' akin to Hurricane Katrina was possible.

More than 20 employees were told on Tuesday that they had been put on administrative leave, according to sources who spoke to the BBC's US partner, CBS News. The BBC has asked FEMA for comment.

There has been renewed scrutiny of US disaster readiness after recent deadly flooding in Texas.

Trump set about drastically overhauling the disaster-management agency soon after returning to office in January, when he mooted the idea of 'maybe getting rid of FEMA' altogether.

He has characterized the organization as inefficient and suggested that state-level officials were better placed to respond to natural disasters.

Reports suggest that hundreds of employees - representing about a third of FEMA's workforce - have left their jobs since the start of the year for various reasons.

Of the 191 FEMA employees who signed Monday's open letter criticizing the agency's direction under Trump, the majority remained anonymous.

The letter reflected on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, highlighting that the storm had claimed over 1,800 lives and underscored the need for competent American disaster-management leadership.

The letter called out the Trump administration for cuts to the agency's funding and workforce, the failure to appoint a permanent agency head, and the perceived 'censorship of climate science.'

In response, a FEMA official defended the agency's work and reforms under Trump, asserting that it was committed to delivering for the American people and had previously been 'bogged down by red tape.' DHS has yet to respond.

Some employees affected by the suspensions received emails stating they had been placed on 'non-duty status' with pay and benefits while reassuring them that the action was 'not a disciplinary action and is not intended to be punitive.'

The controversy arises as the Atlantic hurricane season progresses, with expectations that FEMA will be heavily engaged due to climate change-influenced warmer seas.