Several employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were placed on administrative leave Tuesday after signing an open letter criticizing the agency’s leadership under President Donald Trump. The letter, posted on the website of non-profit group Stand Up for Science, accused Trump-appointed officials of inexperience and warned Congress of a potential disaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina.
The letter, known as the “Katrina Declaration,” had more than 190 signatories by Tuesday evening. It coincided with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed over 1,800 people and exposed major flaws in America’s disaster response system.
According to The Washington Post, FEMA’s Office of the Administrator sent letters informing employees that they were being placed on immediate leave “in a non-duty status while continuing to receive pay and benefits.” Stand Up for Science confirmed the action, stating that “multiple FEMA employees” had been sidelined, though it did not specify how many.
The protest letter argued that the Trump administration was dismantling reforms enacted after Hurricane Katrina, particularly the 2006 Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act, which had expanded FEMA’s responsibilities and improved coordination during emergencies.
Stand Up for Science described the action as illegal retaliation against whistleblowers. “Once again, we are seeing the federal government retaliate against our civil servants for whistleblowing — which is both illegal and a deep betrayal of the most dedicated among us,” the group said.
The Trump administration has not yet commented publicly. However, FEMA’s press secretary stated Monday that the agency has been burdened by red tape and inefficiencies and that reform and accountability are priorities. Roughly one-third of FEMA’s workforce—about 2,000 employees—have exited the agency in the past year through firings, buyouts, or early retirement. The administration has also proposed cutting FEMA grant funding by $1 billion.
This incident mirrors a similar situation at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where 139 employees were placed on leave in July after criticizing Trump-era policies. Both cases have fueled accusations that the administration is suppressing internal dissent and stifling experienced voices in key federal agencies.
