FEMA employees on leave after warning of diminished disaster response

Several Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees have been placed on paid administrative leave after signing a public letter of dissent criticising the recent policies that allegedly weakened the agency’s disaster response capacity.

More than 180 current and former employees signed the letter, which was subsequently sent to the FEMA review council for review on August 25, 2025.

The letter mainly criticises six significant policies, including:

• A new rule requiring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to personally approve a contract over $100,000
• Reassignment of FEMA employees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• Unsuccessful in appointing a qualified FEMA administrator as required by law
• Funds cut to mitigation programs (that help prevent disaster damage)
• Cuts to preparedness training
• Cuts to the FEMA workforce

All signatories agreed that these policies cripples operational speed and capacity of the agency.

By August 26, 2025, the two staff members who signed the letter received notices of their “indefinite leave,” informing them that the action was “not disciplinary” or “punitive.”

It remains unclear how many employees have been affected in total.

This move correlates with similar actions taken against the employees of other agencies, such as placing 140 employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on leave for dissent.