A Democrat-aligned federal judge in California has ruled that the Trump administration acted unlawfully in its effort to dramatically reduce the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) workforce.
The ruling blocks another major piece of President Donald Trump’s push to overhaul the federal bureaucracy.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, a Bill Clinton appointee, ruled Friday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) improperly seized control of FEMA’s personnel decisions while pushing the disaster-response agency toward cutting thousands of jobs.
The dispute centers on a federal law enacted following Hurricane Katrina that prohibits DHS from “substantially or significantly” reducing FEMA’s authorities, responsibilities, or functions.
Illston concluded that DHS crossed that line when it intervened in FEMA’s staffing decisions and sought to prevent the agency from renewing temporary contracts for thousands of reservists who respond to disasters.
“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.
Judge Targets Trump Administration’s FEMA Overhaul
The ruling does not yet specify what the Trump administration will be required to do.
Illston said remedies and penalties will be determined separately next month, giving the parties until Oct. 9 to submit arguments addressing “what relief remains outstanding.”
The lawsuit was brought by unions challenging the administration’s planned workforce reductions.
They argued that the cuts would undermine FEMA’s core disaster-response responsibilities, lacked congressional authorization, and were imposed by DHS rather than FEMA officials.
The Trump administration has maintained that FEMA possesses substantial discretion in determining appropriate staffing levels.
President Trump has gone considerably further, arguing that FEMA should ultimately be eliminated and that states should assume greater responsibility for emergency preparedness and disaster response.
Illston initially declined in June to immediately block the cuts after concluding that FEMA had, at least temporarily, backed away from the planned layoffs.
By Friday, however, the judge determined that the agency appeared to be moving forward with the reductions.
FEMA Workforce Targeted for Major Reduction
Illston pointed to FEMA’s projected staffing level of 11,383 employees for the coming fiscal year, roughly half its previous workforce.
The judge said the administration had failed to provide a sufficient basis for selecting that number.
The administration’s effort represents part of Trump’s broader campaign to shrink the federal government and return responsibilities currently handled in Washington to the states.
FEMA sits within DHS, but Congress imposed restrictions on the department’s ability to diminish the agency following the federal government’s widely criticized response to Hurricane Katrina.
The Trump administration’s attempt to restructure FEMA has now run directly into those statutory protections.
Neither DHS nor FEMA immediately responded to requests for comment following Friday’s ruling.
FEMA nevertheless defended its ability to handle disasters under the administration’s leadership.
“Under President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin’s leadership, DHS and FEMA are ready for the 2026 hurricane season,” a FEMA spokesperson said.
“FEMA continues to maintain a roster of experienced leadership and support staff across headquarters and regional offices.
“No position is without experienced leadership.”
Deleted Signal Messages Draw Judge’s Scrutiny
Illston separately rebuked FEMA and DHS officials over their use of the Signal messaging application while discussing the staffing reductions.
Officials used Signal on personal cell phones and subsequently deleted the messages, according to the ruling.
Illston concluded that those communications would have been relevant to the lawsuit.
The deletion will now work against the administration in the litigation.
The judge said she would presume “that the lost Signal messages would have been unfavorable to Defendants because they would have been further evidence” of unlawful conduct.
That finding potentially creates another complication for the administration as the court determines what remedy to impose.
For now, Illston has ruled that DHS exceeded its authority in attempting to force the sweeping FEMA workforce reductions.
But the legal battle is not over.
The judge has yet to determine what relief she will order, while Trump continues pushing for a fundamental restructuring of federal disaster management that would shift substantially more responsibility away from Washington and back to the states.
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