USA02 January, 20262 min read
Trump Administration's DHS Terminates Contracts of Dozens of FEMA Disaster-Response Staff as 2026 Begins
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DHS under the Trump administration terminated contracts of dozens of FEMA disaster-response staff as 2026 began Affected employees received New Year's Eve emails saying their services would no longer be needed
5 outlets told this the same way.
DHS limits FEMA renewals
As 2026 began, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) curtailed FEMA's ability to renew hundreds of temporary CORE contracts, affecting roughly 8,000 workers — about 40% of FEMA's workforce.
“Homeland Security has restricted FEMA’s ability to renew hundreds of temporary ‘CORE’ contracts, affecting roughly 8,000 workers — about 40% of FEMA’s workforce — many of whose contracts expire in 2026.”
Many of those contracts expire in 2026.
DHS limited renewals in 2025 to 180 days and, as of Jan. 1, revoked FEMA's authority to renew them without DHS approval.
The department is directing FEMA to let many contracted employees depart as their terms end.
Observers warn this comes as FEMA already faces a staffing shortfall identified by a 2023 Government Accountability Office review of more than 6,000 positions, raising concerns about national disaster-response capacity.
FEMA CORE renewals
Reporting indicates the renewal limits were implemented in stages.
CORE staff who historically served two- to four-year renewable terms saw DHS limit renewals in 2025 to 180 days.
DHS then removed FEMA's unilateral renewal authority on Jan. 1.
Internal correspondence reported by local outlets shows dozens of CORE contract staff received New Year's Eve notices that their contracts would not be renewed, a cut El-Balad says was ordered by acting FEMA chief Karen Evans and eliminated roughly 50 positions amid recent leadership turnover.
FEMA restructuring plans
Both outlets place the personnel moves in the context of a broader Trump administration agenda to downsize and restructure FEMA and shift responsibilities toward states. The Mirror US explicitly frames the actions as a push to shrink FEMA and move more disaster-response duties to state governments.
“The Trump administration and Secretary Kristi Noem are pursuing a downsizing/restructuring agenda (the FEMA Review Council is expected to recommend moves such as relocating staff out of Washington, D.C.), and officials have proposed plans that could dramatically shrink FEMA’s workforce.”
El-Balad names Secretary Kristi Noem and the FEMA Review Council as part of the proposed restructuring and reports possible relocation of staff out of Washington, D.C. El-Balad also notes prior layoffs, buyouts, and plans that could dramatically reduce the agency's workforce.
FEMA staffing and cuts
Experts and available reporting warn that the timing of the cuts combined with the GAO-identified shortfall risk weakening the nation’s disaster-response capacity and leaving states less prepared for major disasters. Both The Mirror US and El-Balad cite the 2023 GAO finding that FEMA faced a staffing shortfall of more than 6,000, and El-Balad adds that federal funding delays and state-budget pressures have forced local emergency-management layoffs, increasing reliance on states. The Mirror US notes DHS was contacted for comment, and the provided CNN text is incomplete, indicating the story was updated but lacking full article details in the material.
Policy shift and reporting
The sources together describe a significant policy shift with immediate personnel impacts and raise broader questions about disaster readiness. The Mirror US emphasizes administrative restrictions and numbers, El-Balad provides internal specifics, names, and local-impact descriptions, and the CNN excerpt is incomplete, limiting independent confirmation of internal-document sourcing or further context. Where reporting diverges or leaves gaps — for example, precise lists of affected positions, the full DHS rationale, or additional internal documents — the available excerpts do not resolve those ambiguities.
“I don't have the article text — just the line ‘This story has been updated with additional details.’ I can't summarize without the article itself.”