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FEMA Staffers Diverted to ICE Amid Hurricane Season Concerns
6 Aug
Summary
- Trump administration transfers FEMA staff to ICE for hiring surge
- DHS warns FEMA employees of potential termination if transfer declined
- Concerns over FEMA being understaffed during hurricane season
In a concerning move, the Trump administration is diverting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staffers to assist the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency with a mass hiring surge. According to staff notices seen by Reuters, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees both FEMA and ICE, has directed affected FEMA employees to accept the transfer or potentially face termination.
The timing of these transfers is particularly worrying, as it could leave FEMA understaffed during the peak of the hurricane season. Former FEMA officials have warned that this could hamper the agency's disaster response capabilities at a critical moment. The Washington Post reported that over 100 FEMA employees from the human resources and security teams have already been reassigned to ICE.
The Trump administration's push to expand immigration enforcement, a key part of its agenda, appears to be the driving force behind this decision. With Congress providing a significant funding increase for ICE to hire 10,000 new agents, the administration is adopting an "all-hands-on-deck" strategy to meet this hiring goal, even if it means diverting resources from FEMA.
