The Trump administration is reinstating critical staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This is a key win for AFGE and its allies, who challenged the administration’s unlawful reduction of FEMA’s workforce.
AFGE, along with other labor unions, nonprofits, and local governments, filed suit over the cuts in January, arguing they would leave the agency unable to prepare for or respond to natural disasters and other emergencies, putting lives and property at risk and undermining the very purpose for which Congress created FEMA. After FEMA gave contradictory statements in response to the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction to halt the terminations and reinstate unlawfully removed employees, the Court ordered further discovery and briefing.
In a May 7 filing, President Trump’s attorneys said no preliminary injunction was needed because FEMA has offered to reappoint every worker whose contract was not renewed at the start of the year. Nearly 100 workers hired under the Stafford Act, in a job category called Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery (CORE), have already accepted, the attorneys said. CORE employees are full-time workers hired for two- or four-year renewable terms. They make up the bulk of FEMA’s workforce: 23,620 CORE staff as of June 2024, compared to 5,100 permanent civil service employees.
In December, the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to cut FEMA’s workforce in half over several months, beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The cuts would hit across the agency, including a 41% reduction in CORE staff.
“This case is not about politics. It is about public safety. FEMA employees serve on the front lines when hurricanes make landfall, when wildfires rage, and when floods devastate towns. Abrupt and unlawful workforce cuts would undermine that mission and leave communities exposed,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said.
“Despite the administration’s move to reinstate some of the workers slated for termination, we will continue to pursue this case on the merits to ensure FEMA remains fully staffed, fully functional, and capable of helping Americans respond to disasters nationwide.”
The Trump administration is reinstating critical staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This is a key win for AFGE and its allies, who challenged the administration’s unlawful reduction of FEMA’s workforce.
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