FEMA Suspends Employees Over Criticism of Trump Administration Cuts

Sun Sep 14 2025 03:01:15 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Reports indicate that several FEMA employees have been put on administrative leave after signing an open letter that criticized cuts made by the Trump administration, warning of potential future disasters.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has suspended over 20 staff members following their signing of a letter denouncing budget cuts and leadership issues under the Trump administration. The letter warned of the risks of another national catastrophe akin to Hurricane Katrina, highlighting public concerns about disaster preparedness. This action has sparked discussions around the agency's effectiveness as it faces increasing scrutiny, especially after recent flooding incidents in Texas.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reportedly suspended a number of staff who criticized the agency's direction under US President Donald Trump.

The staff are said to have been among those who recently signed an open letter that castigated Trump officials over cuts and alleged interference, warning that another 'national catastrophe' akin to Hurricane Katrina was possible.

More than 20 employees were told on Tuesday that they had been put on administrative leave, according to sources who spoke to the BBC's US partner, CBS News. The BBC has asked FEMA for comment.

There has been renewed scrutiny of US disaster readiness after recent deadly flooding in Texas.

Trump set about drastically overhauling the disaster-management agency soon after returning to office in January, when he mooted the idea of 'maybe getting rid of FEMA' altogether.

He has characterized the organization as inefficient and suggested that state-level officials were better placed to respond to natural disasters.

Reports suggest that hundreds of employees - representing about a third of FEMA's workforce - have left their jobs since the start of the year for various reasons.

Of the 191 FEMA employees who signed Monday's open letter criticizing the agency's direction under Trump, the majority remained anonymous.

The letter reflected on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, pointing out that the storm had claimed more than 1,800 lives and had highlighted the need for competent American disaster-management leadership.

It took the Trump administration to task for cuts to the agency's funding and workforce, the failure to appoint a permanent agency boss and other issues including the perceived 'censorship of climate science.'

Addressing the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council, the letter made demands including a defense against 'interference' from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and an end to 'politically motivated firings.'

The aim was to 'prevent not only another national catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina, but the effective dissolution of FEMA itself,' the document said.

In response, a FEMA official defended the agency's work and reforms under Trump - saying it was committed to delivering for the American people and had previously been 'bogged down by red tape' and other inefficiencies.