A federal judge ruled on September 13, 2026, that the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security plan to cut FEMA staffing by 50 percent was unlawful. The judge stated the plan appeared "pulled from thin air" and would impede FEMA's ability to respond to disasters as legally mandated.
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The judge said the plan, put together by DHS, appeared as if it was "pulled from thin air" and would impede FEMA's ability to fulfill its legally mandated duty to respond to disasters.
Federal judge rules Trump DHS plan for 50% FEMA staffing cuts was unlawful AP News
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration's plan to cut staffing at FEMA by 50% was unlawful.
this outlet adds: slash, agency, tasked, responding, disasters, opinion, issued, late
The judge said the plan would hinder the agency’s ability to respond to disasters.
The issue of the FEMA staffing was part of a much larger lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Government Employees and other labor groups, pushing back on efforts by the Trump administration to slash the federal workforce.