FEMA Internal Documents Detail Proposed Workforce Cuts Affecting Thousands in Disaster Response

The Department of Homeland Security has drafted plans to sharply reduce the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s workforce in 2026, according to internal documents. The documents outline potential cuts across much of FEMA’s staff, including large reductions to its Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE), which constitutes the majority of the agency’s disaster-specific personnel.

Internal spreadsheets show a proposed 41% reduction in CORE roles—over 4,300 positions—and an 85% cut in surge staffing, totaling 6,500 jobs. However, FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargués stated the agency has “not issued and is not implementing” any percentage-based workforce reductions.

Llargués explained that materials referenced in leaked documents stem from a routine, pre-decisional workforce planning exercise conducted under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidelines. “The email outlining that exercise did not direct staffing cuts or establish reduction targets,” he added.

Three officials familiar with the plans confirmed terminations are expected to occur in waves. Cuts began on New Year’s Eve, eliminating approximately 65 CORE positions. The documents describe reductions as an “exercise” and state they are “pre-decisional,” meaning no personnel actions were being implemented at that time.

Two officials revealed the spreadsheets reflect targets set by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Internal emails refer to planning documents as “routine” but indicate deliberate discussions about workforce reductions, including requests for senior leadership to ensure retained positions remain “absolutely necessary.”

Noem has long advocated reducing FEMA staffing levels, with previous reports indicating she recommended cutting the agency’s workforce by roughly half. DHS reported terminating 50 employees in early January, though two officials said the number is closer to 65 and hundreds more layoffs are anticipated by year’s end.

CORE staff whose contracts expire this month have not received updates on employment status. Llargués insisted recent CORE cuts were unrelated to the workforce planning exercise described in leaked emails.

The potential reductions follow a significant wave of terminations FEMA implemented in early 2025, which included hundreds of probationary employees. The agency is also awaiting a final report from a Trump-appointed review council examining its future operations.

A draft version of the council’s recommendations previously suggested making FEMA leaner but more independent—a stance that conflicted with Noem’s position as co-chair. Current and former FEMA officials raised concerns that large-scale workforce reductions could impair the agency’s ability to fulfill legal obligations under the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, which prohibits Homeland Security secretaries from actions that “substantially or significantly reduce the authorities, responsibilities, or functions” of FEMA.

A veteran FEMA official, speaking anonymously, noted: “There are serious legal questions here.”

FEMA employs approximately 22,300 personnel, including roughly 17,500 CORE staff across the country. These teams work directly with state and local officials to process grants, coordinate logistics, conduct training, and oversee long-term recovery efforts after disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, Maria, and Fiona. In some regions, including parts of Texas and Louisiana, CORE employees make up about 80% of FEMA’s field staff.