Internal Department of Homeland Security emails obtained by The Washington Post show that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is advancing plans that could slash the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster response workforce by roughly half over the course of 2026.
The leaked documents detail proposed reductions to FEMA's Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) staff and "surge" personnel, who are among the first responders deployed after hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters. One internal table in the emails shows a proposed 41 percent cut in CORE roles, and an 85 percent reduction in surge staffing, representing nearly 6,500 jobs.
