The Trump administration unlawfully took control of Federal Emergency Management Agency staffing decisions through the Department of Homeland Security during workforce reductions in 2025, US District Judge Susan Illston has ruled. The federal court found violations of statutory protections governing FEMA, but the remedy remains unresolved.
For context, the dispute began in April 2025, when unions led by the American Federation of Government Employees sued President Donald Trump over what they called 'the unconstitutional dismantling of the federal government'. The litigation subsequently narrowed into more specific claims, with agency-related disputes considered separately.
