Staffers who signed ‘Katrina Declaration’ critical of Trump administration are reinstated at FEMA
Staffers who signed the “Katrina Declaration,” an open letter critical of the Trump administration, have been reinstated at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“We have been reinstated,” Abby McIlraith, one of the signatories, told The Hill in a Signal message.
McIlraith said she feels “vindicated” but also that the time that staffers were put on leave was a “pure waste” of taxpayer money.
“It is a crying shame. Over 8 months we couldn’t work, couldn’t help disaster survivors,” she wrote. “Everyone who pays taxes in this country should be angry about this.”
A spokesperson for FEMA did not directly address the reinstatement when reached by The Hill but said via email that the agency is “taking targeted steps to stabilize our workforce and strengthen readiness” as hurricane season and the FIFA World Cup approach.
“Under new leadership, FEMA is addressing outstanding personnel actions to ensure workforce stability and a strong, deployable surge force for upcoming national events and potential disasters. FEMA remains committed to operational readiness for all major challenges in 2026,” the spokesperson said.
McIlraith also said, however, that “FEMA is arguably in a worse state than it was” when she signed the Katrina Declaration .
“A hiring freeze is still in effect, FEMA still has no legally qualified administrator, money isn’t getting to states that need it, we have wildfire and hurricane seasons coming up, and as a result, the public is in severe danger,” she wrote.
In August, a group of current and former FEMA staffers signed the declaration , saying that policies of the Trump administration and then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were weakening the nation’s disaster response capabilities.
They particularly pointed to Noem’s policy of personally reviewing expenditures of more than $100,000. This policy became a significant source of controversy and even generated pushback from Republicans who said that funding for their states was being delayed.
Soon after the letter’s publication, employees who signed it were suspended .
Late last year, the employees were briefly reinstated before being suspended again by the administration.
The latest reinstatement comes shortly after former Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) took the reins at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA.
It also comes ahead of a highly anticipated meeting next week of the FEMA review council, which President Trump has tasked with coming up with policy changes at the agency.
McIlraith said she believes FEMA should be an independent agency rather than part of the Department of Homeland Security.
“If Congress wants to protect their constituencies, they need to safeguard the FEMA mission by legislating to protect staff and assistance programs from further cuts,” she said.
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