Judge Rules DHS Plan to Cut FEMA Staff in Half Unlawful

NewsData.io · United States · Sep 13, 2026

A federal judge has ruled that the Department of Homeland Security's plan to reduce FEMA's workforce by more than 11,000 employees — roughly 50% — was 'arbitrary and capricious' and unlawful. The ruling directly affects thousands of temporary CORE employees, who make up about 40% of FEMA's staff and are hired on two-to-four-year contracts. For staffing firms, the case highlights ongoing volatility in federal temporary workforce deployment and the legal limits of executive workforce reduction orders. The parties have been ordered to negotiate a relief agreement by October 9, with the court prepared to issue its own remedy if no deal is reached.