Fourteen Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees who signed a public letter criticising disaster preparedness under the Trump administration have been reinstated after eight months on paid administrative leave, according to staff members.
The workers were among 190 current and former FEMA employees who signed the 'Katrina Declaration' last August, which warned of policy decisions risking a catastrophe similar to Hurricane Katrina. The signatories included only active employees who listed their names, and they were placed on indefinite leave the following day.
Abby McIlraith, a FEMA emergency management specialist and reinstated whistleblower, said she felt vindicated. The group received emails on Wednesday instructing them to return to work on Thursday. McIlraith expressed hope that the reinstatement would be permanent, after a brief return in December was reversed.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has moved away from the approach of his predecessor, Kristi Noem, reversing a policy requiring DHS approval for expenditures over $100,000. Mullin has also released over $1 billion in backlogged FEMA grants. A FEMA spokesperson said the agency is taking steps to stabilise the workforce ahead of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season and the FIFA World Cup.
McIlraith remains concerned about FEMA's future, noting the lack of a permanent administrator and the impact of a record-long DHS shutdown. The House and Senate have passed a bill funding non-immigration DHS operations, including $26 billion for FEMA's disaster fund. The FEMA Review Council is expected to propose sweeping changes next week.
