Some employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who signed a dissent letter earlier this week were placed on administrative leave on Tuesday evening, as per documents reviewed by the Associated Press.
Over 180 current and former employees of FEMA sent a letter to the FEMA Review Council and Congress on Monday. They expressed concerns about agency staff and programs, pointing out that recent budget cuts have severely weakened FEMA’s capacity to respond to significant disasters.
Out of those who signed, 35 included their names, while 141 chose to sign anonymously, likely due to fears of retaliation.
At least two of the signatories indicated on Tuesday evening that they would be taking an indefinite leave, with a requirement to check in each morning regarding availability. The status of the other signers remains unclear.
The notice stated that this decision was “not intended to be punitive and not disciplinary action.”
FEMA did not immediately respond to inquiries about how many staff members received these notifications or if they were connected to the dissent letters.
The Washington Post was the first to report on some FEMA employees taking leave.
This dissent letter contained six “opposition statements” aimed at FEMA’s current practices, including a requirement that spending approvals over $100,000 must be authorized by Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem.
Additionally, it criticized the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to reassign certain FEMA employees to immigration and customs enforcement, the lack of qualified FEMA administrators as required by law, and cuts to mitigation programs, training, and the FEMA workforce.
A FEMA spokesperson, Daniel Largue, stated in an email Monday that the Trump administration has prioritized “accountability and reform” to ensure taxpayer funds effectively support those in need.
Largue added, “It’s not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who have been primarily sided with decades of inefficiency are now opposed to reform. Change is always a challenge.”
Employees in other agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency, have raised similar concerns. Notably, around 140 EPA staff members were also placed on administrative leave for signing the opposition letter.
