Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration Broke Law by Ordering FEMA to Cut Workforce in Half
NewsData.io · United States · Sep 14, 2026
A US federal judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security acted unlawfully by directing FEMA to halve its workforce, finding the move violated a post-Hurricane Katrina statute protecting FEMA's operational independence. The cuts would have reduced FEMA staffing to roughly 11,383 employees by stopping renewal of thousands of temporary on-call reservist contracts. Remedies and penalties will be determined in a separate ruling next month. The decision has broader implications for federal contractor and temporary workforce management during an active hurricane season.
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