Federal judge rules Trump administration plan to cut FEMA workforce in half was unlawful
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of California ruled on September 12, 2026 that the Department of Homeland Security acted unlawfully and arbitrarily when it revoked FEMA's authority to renew contracts for its Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) employees, effectively cutting the workforce by about half. The judge found DHS violated the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, which prohibits the homeland security secretary from substantially reducing FEMA's authorities, responsibilities, or functions. The ruling was a victory for labor unions representing FEMA workers who had sued to block the cuts.
- Reutersfirst
- Al Jazeera+36 min
- The Hill+2.7 h
- Washington Post+3.5 h
- CNN+4.9 h
- Washington Examiner+5.7 h
- New York Times+8.8 h
Broad agreement on what happened
Outlets across the spectrum land in roughly the same place: the shared language is highlighted.
“Federal judge rules Trump plan to cut FEMA by 50 percent was unlawful - The Washington Post”WP Washington Post LEFT
“Judge blocks Trump administration directive to cut half of FEMA's workforce”WE Washington Examiner RIGHT
“Trump's plan to halve FEMA workforce illegal, judge rules” · Al Jazeera, Reuters, The Hill