Washington, D.C.—Today, House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Ranking Member Greg Stanton (D-AZ) released a 34-page investigative report examining how the Trump administration and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership are misusing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resources for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations instead of ensuring FEMA’s readiness to respond to disasters.

“While communities across the country are struggling to prepare for more severe and frequent natural disasters, the Trump administration is using FEMA employees and funding for its large-scale, brutal immigration enforcement operations,” Ranking Member Larsen said. “As detailed in the report, the Trump administration is leaving disaster-stricken communities out to dry in the name of separating immigrant families. I want to thank Ranking Member Stanton for his hard work on this report and on disaster response issues broadly this Congress.”

"This report is damning. After the Trump administration hollowed out a third of FEMA's workforce, it put disaster professionals to work as the 'operational backbone' of its cruel mass deportation agenda, likely in violation of federal law," Ranking Member Stanton said. "FEMA exists for one reason: to be there for Americans on the worst day of their lives. We're in the middle of a dangerous and destructive hurricane and wildfire season. The stakes couldn't be higher. Every FEMA employee detailed to ICE and CBP should be recalled immediately, and Congress must put real penalties in the law so no future administration can raid this life-saving agency again."

Summary:

The report contains 14 key findings from the investigation—including that DHS leadership relied on FEMA to serve as the backbone of large-scale immigration enforcement and detention operations and that FEMA’s delayed response to the Texas flooding resulted in demonstrable harm to disaster survivors.

It also includes eight recommendations based on the report’s findings, from resuming FEMA hiring and training programs to recalling employees detailed to ICE and CBP and directing those agencies to reimburse FEMA for all costs incurred by immigration enforcement operations.

To read the full report, all key findings and all subsequent recommendations, click here.

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