A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration violated US law by directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reduce its workforce by roughly half, finding that the planned cuts threatened the agency’s legally protected functions.

US District Judge Susan Illston said the Department of Homeland Security improperly bypassed FEMA’s authority by stopping the renewal of temporary disaster-response contracts and pursuing a major staffing reduction.

Congress imposed restrictions on substantial reductions in FEMA’s responsibilities after the failures exposed by Hurricane Katrina. The court found that executive officials could not circumvent those protections without legislative authorization.

The lawsuit was brought by employee unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees. They argued that the cuts would leave FEMA unable to prepare for and respond effectively to hurricanes, floods, fires and other emergencies.

The judge also criticized the use and deletion of messages sent through Signal by officials involved in the decisions, noting that the communications could have contained evidence relevant to the litigation.

The ruling did not immediately set out a complete remedy, and a further decision is expected. The administration may also seek to appeal or pursue workforce changes through a different legal process.

The dispute carries practical consequences for states and communities that depend on federal coordination during disasters. FEMA’s staffing level affects preparedness grants, logistics, recovery payments and the speed of emergency deployments.

Source: Reuters.

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