A federal judge ruled that a Trump administration plan to cut the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workforce in half was unlawful.

According to CNN, U.S. ‌District Judge Susan Illston said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “acted arbitrarily and capriciously” when it revoked FEMA’s authority to renew contracts for its on-call disaster response teams.

Although FEMA is an agency within DHS, a federal law adopted after Hurricane Katrina says the department “may not substantially or significantly reduce (FEMA’s) authorities, responsibilities, or functions,” Reuters noted.

The ruling stems from labor groups who sued the department, alleging the DHS plans violated congressional protections to safeguard FEMA.

Reuters explained further:

Agreeing with unions that sued, Illston said ​the department violated the law when it moved last year to stop FEMA from renewing the temporary ⁠contracts of thousands of on-call reservists who respond to disasters.

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“There is no evidence in the record reflecting reasoned decision-making for this ​about-face or for the subsequent conditions DHS placed on FEMA’s renewal authority,” Illston wrote.

Friday’s ruling did not include remedies or penalties. Illston, an ​appointee of President Bill Clinton, wrote those would be addressed in a separate ruling next month and said the parties may submit briefings on the scope of relief she should provide to the unions.

The Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery teams, also known as CORE, make up approximately 40 percent of FEMA’s workforce.

In a statement, a FEMA spokesperson said the agency “continues to maintain a roster of experienced leadership and support staff across headquarters and regional offices.”

“We’re ensuring workforce stability and a strong, deployable force for upcoming national events and potential disasters; making the agency leaner, faster and laser-focused on supporting state, local, tribal and territorial partners before, during and after disasters,” the spokesperson added.

CNN has more:

The teams are often the first federal boots on the ground when hurricanes and other large disasters strike. Many of those workers oversee aid distribution and long-term funding to states and communities.

Traditionally, CORE workers have served two-to-four-year contracts that were almost always renewed. But amid an aggressive Trump administration effort to downsize the federal government in 2025, DHS limited FEMA to renewing these contracts to 180 days at a time while it considered a long-term plan to shrink the agency.

In January, DHS instructed FEMA to let at least some of those contracts lapse to force employees out as their terms expire.

The moves were part of a broader push by the Trump administration to overhaul FEMA, shrink its size and shift more responsibility for disaster response and recovery to the states. Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has argued that the disaster relief agency is ineffective, partisan and bloated, despite a 2023 Government Accountability Office report that found the agency was facing a staffing shortfall of more than 6,000 employees.

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