The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday placed several employees on administrative leave effective immediately, just one day after they signed an open letter warning Congress that the Trump administration’s sweeping overhaul of the agency could lead to catastrophic failures in disaster response.
Titled “Katrina Declaration,” the letter accuses President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees FEMA, of undermining the agency’s capabilities, ignoring its congressionally mandated authority and appointing unqualified leadership. The group calls for FEMA to be shielded from political interference and for its workforce to be protected from politically motivated firings.
Of the more than 180 current and former FEMA staffers who signed the letter, most did so anonymously. Only 36 signed publicly, though it’s unclear how many were still employed when the letter was released.
Among them was Virginia Case, a supervisory management and program analyst, who told CNN she received notice Tuesday evening that she’d been placed on paid leave.
“I’m disappointed but not surprised,” Case said, adding that she was aware of at least six other FEMA workers who received similar emails. “I’m also proud of those of us who stood up, regardless of what it might mean for our jobs. The public deserves to know what’s happening, because lives and communities will suffer if this continues.”
