DHS Attempts to Cut FEMA CORE Disaster Response Staff

DHS has made attempts to significantly reduce the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) employees. CORE employees make up roughly 40% of FEMA's workforce and are typically deployed first after disasters. According to reporting, the attempted cuts began on December 31, 2025, when approximately 50 employees received non-renewal notices regarding their contracts. Historically, CORE employees had their contracts renewed on supervisor recommendation; sources confirmed that supervisors' renewal requests were being overridden. Internal planning documents obtained by news outlets appeared to show that DHS had analyzed workforce reductions of up to 50% of FEMA's 23,000-person workforce for fiscal year 2026, including a 41% cut to CORE staff and an 85% cut to surge staffers. A litigation challenge argued the cuts violated the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, which restricts DHS from substantially reducing FEMA's functions without congressional approval.  Government officials indicated, as of May 1, 2026, FEMA began offering jobs back to CORE employees it previously laid off.