Here’s what President Trump is thinking.
The Trump administration is once again taking aim at Washington’s bloated bureaucracy, this time with potential workforce reductions at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to a lawsuit filed by federal employee unions and progressive advocacy groups.
Court documents submitted late Tuesday allege that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees FEMA, has directed agency leadership to prepare for staffing reductions that could impact more than 10,000 positions nationwide. The filing claims FEMA officials were told to plan for cuts of up to 50 percent across parts of the agency.
According to internal planning documents cited in the lawsuit, proposed reductions would affect multiple employment categories. The spreadsheet referenced outlines a potential 15 percent reduction in permanent full-time staff, a 41 percent cut to disaster full-time employees, and an 85 percent reduction in FEMA’s surge workforce, which is typically mobilized during major emergencies.
CNN previously reported on the spreadsheet. At that time, a DHS spokesperson said the figures were included in error and emphasized that the draft numbers were not approved, adopted, or reflective of official FEMA policy. DHS and FEMA have been contacted again for comment.
Despite those assurances, the lawsuit alleges that staffing reductions are already beginning. According to the filing, several members of FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery Employees (CORE) were notified on New Year’s Eve that their contracts would not be renewed.
While approximately 65 employees reportedly received notices, the filing notes that between 900 and 1,000 CORE employees face renewal decisions this month. The plaintiffs argue these non-renewals are unusual and signal broader changes within the agency.
The groups bringing the lawsuit are asking the court to block DHS from enforcing a 50 percent reduction target and to prevent the department from limiting FEMA’s authority over workforce renewals. They claim the proposed reductions could weaken disaster preparedness and emergency response efforts across the country.
In a statement included in the filing, Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman criticized the administration’s approach, arguing that large-scale staffing cuts would leave communities vulnerable during natural disasters and emergencies.
The Trump administration, however, has repeatedly argued that FEMA — like many federal agencies — has become inefficient, overly bureaucratic, and in need of serious reform. Administration officials have previously signaled interest in restructuring or scaling back the agency to return more responsibility to states and local governments.
A meeting reportedly scheduled last month to outline FEMA reform plans was abruptly canceled, leaving questions about the administration’s next steps.
The lawsuit is part of a broader legal battle over President Trump’s push to reduce the size of the federal workforce. A temporary government funding measure has so far limited the administration’s ability to carry out layoffs, but that stopgap bill is expected to expire soon — potentially opening the door for further action.