14 FEMA Employees Reinstated After Warning of Katrina-Like Disaster Risks Under Noem

Key facts

• 14 FEMA employees reinstated after 8 months on paid administrative leave for signing a public dissent letter.
• The 'Katrina Declaration' was signed by over 190 current and former FEMA employees, with 36 signing their names.
• The letter warned that funding cuts and policy changes risked a catastrophe similar to Hurricane Katrina, which killed 1,833 people in 2005.
• New DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin reversed Kristi Noem's policy requiring his office to approve any expenditure over $100,000.
• Mullin has released over $1 billion in backlogged FEMA grants and reimbursements to states, tribes, and territories since taking office.
• FEMA lost roughly a third of its full-time staff under the Trump administration, including experienced leaders.
• The agency faces upcoming high-risk seasons for hurricanes, extreme heat, and fires, as well as the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season and FIFA World Cup.

Reinstatement Ends Eight-Month Suspension for Dissenting Workers

Fourteen employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency returned to work this week after spending eight months on administrative leave for signing a public letter that criticized the Trump administration’s management of the agency. The workers were told by email on Wednesday that an investigation into the matter was closed and they were to resume their duties on Thursday, according to two FEMA staff members. Abby McIlraith, a FEMA emergency management specialist among the reinstated group, said she felt “pretty vindicated” and that they had “did the right thing.” On Thursday she was back at the FEMA office in Maryland, waiting to regain access to her work devices. The reinstatement marks one of several reversals made by the new Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, signaling a departure from the harsher approach taken by his predecessor, Kristi Noem, who was fired as DHS leader.

The ‘Katrina Declaration’ and Its Warnings

The letter, known as the “Katrina declaration,” was sent last August to members of Congress and a federal council formed to help determine FEMA’s future. It was timed with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the catastrophic storm that killed 1,833 people and devastated parts of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005. The signatories warned that the stage was set for history to repeat itself due to dangerous erosion in the nation’s capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. More than 190 current and former FEMA employees signed the letter; 36 included their names. Those who were still actively employed at the agency were put on indefinite paid administrative leave one day later. The group was reinstated briefly in December before being returned to leave, a hiccup that a DHS spokesperson at the time blamed on “bureaucrats acting outside of their authority.”

Policies Called Out in the Dissent Letter

The letter specifically criticized several policy decisions by the Trump administration. These included the DHS decision to reassign some FEMA employees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the failure to appoint a qualified FEMA administrator as stipulated by law; cuts to mitigation programs, preparedness training, and the FEMA workforce; and a policy requiring that the DHS secretary’s office approve any expenditure over $100,000. Hundreds of millions of dollars in national preparedness funding were cut in 2025, and FEMA lost roughly a third of its full-time staff — including experienced leaders — to firings, retirements, and resignations. The letter also called for FEMA to be removed from under DHS and restored to a cabinet-level agency.

Mullin’s Reversals Signal a Shift in Approach

Pressed by Democratic Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey about the suspended staffers’ fate during his Senate confirmation hearing last month, Mullin called whistleblower retaliation unlawful and vowed to work “within the law.” Since being sworn in, Mullin has reversed Noem’s $100,000 approval policy and has released more than $1 billion in backlogged FEMA grants and reimbursements to states, tribes, and territories. A FEMA spokesperson told The Associated Press that while the agency does not comment on specific personnel actions, it is taking “targeted steps to stabilize our workforce and strengthen readiness.” The spokesperson added, “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.”

Workforce Still Severely Hindered Ahead of High-Risk Seasons

Despite the reinstatements and contract extensions, many of the concerns outlined in the letter remain. The agency is still severely hindered for upcoming high-risk seasons for hurricanes, extreme heat, and fires, according to staffers and emergency management experts. FEMA is also preparing for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season and the FIFA World Cup, both beginning in June. “I am very happy these career civil servants are getting their due and getting back to work,” said a former FEMA employee who spoke on condition of anonymity. “But it might be too little, too late.” The agency’s capacity to respond to disasters remains a pressing concern as the nation faces multiple natural hazards.

Outlook: Uncertain Recovery for an Agency in Crisis

The reinstatement of the 14 employees is a positive step, but the underlying issues that prompted the “Katrina declaration” persist. The loss of a third of FEMA’s full-time staff, combined with funding cuts, has left the agency struggling to maintain readiness. The new leadership under Mullin has shown willingness to reverse some of Noem’s policies, but the scale of the damage may take years to repair. As the 2026 hurricane season approaches, the question remains whether these measures will be sufficient to prevent a catastrophe. The workers who sounded the alarm have been vindicated, but the warning they issued continues to echo.

The bottom line

• 14 FEMA employees were reinstated after eight months on leave for signing a public dissent letter warning of disaster risks.
• The 'Katrina Declaration' criticized policies including a $100,000 spending approval threshold and reassignment of FEMA staff to ICE.
• New DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has reversed several of Kristi Noem's policies and released over $1 billion in backlogged grants.
• FEMA lost roughly a third of its staff under the Trump administration, and hundreds of millions in preparedness funding were cut.
• The agency remains severely hindered as it faces upcoming hurricane seasons, extreme heat, fires, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• Experts warn that the reinstatement may be 'too little, too late' to restore FEMA's full capacity.