The Trump administration has placed over 30 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees on leave after they signed an open letter of dissent about the agency’s leadership, according to people familiar with the situation and documents reviewed by The Washington Post.
The move comes as part of a broader trend in which federal workers have spoken out against the Trump administration’s actions and policies, putting their jobs at risk. Last month, nearly 140 EPA employees were placed on leave after they sent their own letter of dissent.
FEMA employees are concerned about the lack of leadership, the slashing of disaster recovery programs, and restrictive new policies that curb agency officials’ autonomy. They have called for federal lawmakers to defend FEMA from interference by the Department of Homeland Security, protect employees from “politically motivated firings,” conduct more oversight, and establish FEMA as an independent Cabinet-level agency.
The move has sparked a debate about the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on disaster response and preparedness. One employee who signed the letter said that the severity of the problem is reflected in the fact that 180 people signed on to the letter, with many still working at FEMA.
This latest development highlights the growing tensions between federal workers and the Trump administration, which have been escalating over the past few months. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how this will affect the future of disaster response and preparedness efforts in the US.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/08/26/fema-employees-leave-trump-administration-letter