Leaked Emails Reveal FEMA Bracing for 11,500 Job Cuts as Disaster Workers Fired on New Year's Eve

Internal emails sent to senior officials within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reveal that the agency has been preparing for workforce reductions exceeding 50 per cent, a move that would eliminate more than 11,500 jobs and fundamentally alter America's disaster response capabilities.

The leaked documents, first reported by The Washington Post and CNN, show that FEMA's chief human capital office initiated a 'Workforce Capacity Planning Exercise' on 23 December. This exercise directed leadership to identify which positions are essential and which could be phased out by the end of fiscal year 2026.

The cuts have already begun. On New Year's Eve, human resources personnel were instructed to terminate approximately 65 disaster response workers, according to two officials familiar with the process cited by The Washington Post. Several staff members learned of their dismissals on New Year's Day while on holiday.

Supervisors Blindsided by Terminations

The sudden firings caught FEMA supervisors off guard. 'This must be a mistake,' one supervisor wrote to FEMA's human resources department, explaining they had approved their employee's renewal through proper channels, according to emails obtained by The Washington Post.

Another supervisor overseeing Hurricane Helene recovery efforts expressed confusion over losing a staff member, stating that 'based on the attached emails and form,' the worker's 'appointment should be renewed.'

'I would like to resolve this ASAP, as this is a disappointing and confusing email to get right before a holiday,' the supervisor added. A senior human resources official responded that the situation was essentially out of their control.

What the Leaked Documents Show

According to spreadsheets attached to the December email, FEMA's permanent full-time staff would decrease by approximately 15 per cent, while its disaster response workforce could face a 41 per cent reduction, affecting over 4,300 positions. The proposed 85 per cent cut to surge staffing would eliminate nearly 6,500 roles.

FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargués stated that the agency 'has not issued and is not implementing a percentage-based workforce reduction,' describing the documents as part of a 'routine, pre-decisional workforce planning exercise.' A FEMA spokesperson separately told CNN that 'any numerical assumptions reflected in that draft were not approved,' and that the 50 per cent reduction target 'was included in error.'

However, multiple FEMA officials indicated to CNN that the administration has been discussing significant cuts to the agency throughout 2026.

'This is not a targeted workforce reduction – this is using a sledgehammer when you should be using a scalpel,' a current FEMA supervisor told Federal News Network.

Impact on Disaster Survivors

For communities affected by hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, these cuts could mean longer waits for federal assistance and fewer responders when disasters strike.

The cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees, known as CORE staff, made up 39 per cent of FEMA's workforce as of 2022 and are typically among the first responders deployed after disasters. Some terminated staff were actively involved in long-term recovery efforts for Hurricanes Sandy, Maria, and Fiona.

'While they serve two-year contract terms, those are routinely renewed because the number of disasters that the nation has been dealing with has not gone down,' said Rafael LeMaitre, a former FEMA director of public affairs. 'If anything, it has increased, both in number and severity.'

Cameron Hamilton, who served as FEMA's acting administrator earlier in Trump's second term, warned that losing disaster-specific workers rapidly 'would mean greater delays in processing, and survivors not being dealt with as quickly as they had been before.'

Legal Concerns Mount

The proposed reductions have raised questions about potential violations of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, which prohibits the Homeland Security Secretary from substantially reducing FEMA's authorities or functions.

'It's not just unprecedented — it directly contradicts the law,' one veteran FEMA official told The Washington Post.

House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie Thompson described the potential cuts as evidence of 'reckless and dangerous behaviour,' asserting that the administration 'is willing to gamble with Americans' lives and violate federal law.'

The uncertainty follows a tumultuous 2025 that saw more than 2,000 FEMA employees depart through voluntary programmes and terminations, including two dozen senior leaders, according to the Government Accountability Office. The agency was already understaffed by over 6,000 positions, based on a 2023 GAO report.

With Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem now exercising direct oversight over CORE position renewals — a move described by officials as 'completely outside the norm' — the future of America's disaster workforce remains uncertain.