A Social Security Administration office in suburban Detroit. Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — A whistleblower complaint filed on Tuesday alleges that the Department of Government Efficiency uploaded a copy of all federal Social Security numbers and information to an unsecured server in June, creating “enormous vulnerabilities.”
The complaint, filed by Social Security Administration Chief Data Officer Chuck Borges, alleges that a live copy of the “entire country’s Social Security information” is now being held by a “vulnerable cloud environment” that lacks oversight from the agency or the ability to track who is accessing the data.
Borges, who began his role at SSA in January 2025, alleges that the database of Social Security information contains all data that has been submitted through the application process for a United States Social Security card, “including the name of the applicant, place and date of birth, citizenship, race and ethnicity, parents’ names and social security numbers, phone number, address, and other personal information.”
“Should bad actors gain access to this cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare and food benefits,” the complaint reads, claiming the file risks “the security of over 300 million Americans’ Social Security data.”
A spokesperson for SSA told ABC News that the agency stores all data in safe environments and that the data mentioned in the complaint stored in a “long-standing environment used by SSA.”
“Commissioner [Frank] Bisignano and the Social Security Administration take all whistleblower complaints seriously. SSA stores all personal data in secure environments that have robust safeguards in place to protect vital information,” the SSA spokesperson said.
“The data referenced in the complaint is stored in a long-standing environment used by SSA and walled off from the internet. High-level career SSA officials have administrative access to this system with oversight by SSA’s Information Security team. We are not aware of any compromise to this environment and remain dedicated to protecting sensitive personal data,” the spokesperson said.
Borges claims he had raised concerns within the agency, “and to date has not been made aware of any remedial action.”
A Navy veteran, Borges previously held positions at the General Services Administration, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Centers for Disease Control.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan walks into the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse on May 15, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Judge Dugan has been charged with trying to help Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant, elude federal arrest while he was making an appearance in her courtroom on April 18. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
(MILWAUKEE) — A federal judge in Wisconsin has denied Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan’s motion to dismiss federal charges alleging that she concealed an undocumented immigrant to prevent his arrest by immigration authorities.
In the decision, issued Tuesday, the judge did not agree with Dugan’s argument of judicial immunity.
“There is no basis for granting immunity simply because some of the allegations in the indictment describe conduct that could be considered ‘part of a judge’s job,'” Judge Lynn Adelman wrote.
The order follows an earlier magistrate judge’s recommendation to have the case continue.
Dugan was arrested in April and charged in a two-count federal indictment alleging she knowingly concealed a person sought for arrest by immigration authorities and for obstruction of official Department of Homeland Security removal proceedings. She has pleaded not guilty.
Her criminal case will go forward with a scheduling hearing set for Sept. 3.
Lawyers for Dugan, in part citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in President Donald Trump’s immunity case, had argued she has judicial immunity for official acts and her prosecution is unconstitutional. Prosecutors, meanwhile, had contended in court filings that her motion to dismiss the charges ignored “well-established law that has long permitted judges to be prosecuted for crimes they commit.”
According to federal prosecutors, Dugan encountered federal agents who were at Milwaukee County Circuit Court on April 18 to arrest an undocumented man appearing in her courtroom on a battery charge.
Prosecutors say that after speaking to the agents, Dugan directed them to the chief judge’s office down the hall and then sent the man and his attorney out a non-public door in an alleged attempt, authorities claim, to help him evade arrest on immigration violations.
The man was later arrested.
Dugan was arrested and charged a week following the incident.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan in the wake of her arrest, stating in an order that it found it was “in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties.”
(KANSAS CITY, Kan.) — A 26-year-old Kansas police officer was killed when police say a suspect intentionally plowed into him while fleeing authorities during a pursuit.
Kansas City, Kansas, Police Officer Hunter Simoncic was deploying stop sticks in response to the pursuit early Tuesday when the suspect drove toward him and struck him, then continued to flee the area, police said.
Simoncic was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The suspect — Dennis Mitchell III, 31, of Kansas City — was taken into custody after crashing the vehicle and was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
“This was an intentional act, a willful act, to evade custody by striking the officer,” Kansas City Police Chief Karl Oakman said during a press briefing Tuesday, calling the death of the officer “devastating.”
“It’s just difficult. It makes no sense,” he said. “I have no words for it.”
The incident unfolded shortly around 12:30 a.m., when officers with the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department were dispatched to a call of shots fired, according to the KBI. Officers shortly found Mitchell unconscious in the driver’s seat of a truck, the KBI said.
“As officers approached the driver, he woke up and fled the scene,” the KBI said in a release.
Mitchell abandoned the vehicle for another truck that was “stashed in the woods” and continued fleeing from officers, Oakman said.
During the pursuit, Simoncic exited his vehicle to stage stop sticks, in an attempt to safely puncture and deflate the tires on the fleeing vehicle, police said.
“The suspect continued through the stop sticks and veered his vehicle directly at Officer Simoncic, striking him at the scene,” Oakman said.
Shortly before 1 a.m., Mitchell crashed the truck, KBI said. He was taken into custody and treated at an area hospital before being booked into the Wyandotte County Jail, according to the KBI.
He also faces charges of vehicular homicide, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, theft, criminal possession of a firearm, and aggravated failure to appear, the KBI said. Formal charges are pending, police said. It is unclear if he has an attorney at this time.
Police later learned that both trucks driven by the suspect had been reported stolen, according to the KBI.
Oakman said the suspect has several outstanding warrants, but did not go into detail amid the investigation, which is being conducted by the KBI.
Simoncic was following protocol in deploying the stage sticks, the police chief said.
“This was a situation that we do across the metro thousands of times a year, deploying stop sticks, and this individual felt the need to run Hunter down and kill him,” Oakman said. “That is not a vehicle accident. This was an intentional act of homicide on a police officer.”
Simoncic, who was from Galesburg, Kansas, graduated from the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department Police Academy in 2023. He is survived by his mother, father and brother, Oakman said.
Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garner condemned the “shameful acts of violence” in the community.
“I went to the hospital — what words do you say to a family, a brother, a mother and a father, grieving, knowing that that life has been snuffed out and it didn’t have to be?” Garner said during the press briefing.
Simoncic volunteered to read and mentor children in local schools, the mayor said, adding, “That says a lot about the type of individual he was.”
“My heart hurts for this police department, for our chief, for his command staff, for all the men and women of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, for all our public safety professionals, for our community,” Garner said. “I just don’t have a lot of words to say to comfort this community. And sometimes, saying, ‘Thoughts and prayers,’ just isn’t enough. It’s just going to take a lot more than that.”
(VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.) — Authorities in Southern California announced Tuesday the arrest of 14 people accused of running what they called the largest organized retail theft operation targeting Home Depot in the company’s history, with nine facing felony charges.
The suspects are allegedly linked to 600 thefts at 71 different Home Depots, with losses exceeding $10 million across multiple Southern California counties, officials said.
“They basically had been able to pull off over 600 different thefts from Home Depots in the surrounding counties,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “They must have thought life was grand. They’ve been making millions of dollars, didn’t look like anyone was going to stop them.”
Police say David Ahl, who a ran a storefront called ARIA Wholesale in Tarzana, was at the center of the operation. Ahl faces 48 felony counts including conspiracy, organized retail theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property, and money laundering, authorities said.
He remains in custody at Ventura County jail with bail set at $500,000 and faces up to 32 years in prison if convicted. Attorney information for Ahl was not immediately available.
Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said Ahl’s “boosters” would systematically steal expensive electrical components like breakers, dimmers, and switches, sometimes hitting every Home Depot in Ventura County in a single day. The stolen goods were then allegedly delivered to Ahl’s business or home in trash bags or Home Depot boxes.
The investigation also led to the arrest of Ahl’s brother-in-law, who allegedly sold stolen merchandise through eBay. Ahl’s ex-wife and her boyfriend were accused of running a “nearly identical” fencing operation.
During searches, investigators seized an estimated $3.7 million in Home Depot property and $800,000 in what they described as “dirty money” from alleged money laundering operations.
Surveillance footage shown by officials captured suspects in action, including one who allegedly climbed around security measures when Home Depot placed high-value items behind cages and on higher shelves.
“This wasn’t shoplifting. It was a criminal enterprise that allegedly stole millions of dollars, and it was finally stopped here in Ventura County,” Erik Nasarenko, the county’s district attorney, said in a press conference Tuesday.
Home Depot Regional Asset Protection Manager Darlene Hermosillo emphasized that organized retail crime affects more than just profits.
“It’s about protecting the well-being and safety of our customers, our associates and the communities in which we serve,” she said in a press conference Tuesday.
The investigation was funded through a state grant program targeting organized retail theft. All defendants remain in custody with bail set between $250,000 and $500,000.
Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
(ATHENS, Ga.) — The University of Georgia has paused pledging for one of its fraternities amid an investigation into alleged hazing off-campus.
The university said it is conducting a review of the Sigma Chi fraternity “following a third-party complaint.” The Athens-Clarke County Police Department said it is also investigating the reported incident.
The university received an email complaint from an Athens-based professional on Aug. 12 that reported “‘gross student misconduct and abuse’ in reference to ‘hazing by male Greek Life leaders,'” a University of Georgia Police Department complaint stated.
The complainant reported that “incoming freshmen were punched and forced to drink copious amounts of alcohol beyond their capacity” from Aug. 9 to Aug. 10, the complaint stated.
One of two fraternities cited in the complaint has been allowed to resume activities following a “thorough review,” university spokesperson Rod Guajardo said.
A review into the other fraternity, Sigma Chi, is ongoing, with all potential new member activity currently paused, Guajardo said.
“Pausing all potential new member activity for an individual organization while a review is conducted is standard operating procedure,” Guajardo said in a statement.
The complaint was referred to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department because the fraternity is located off-campus, the school said.
A spokesperson for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department confirmed to ABC News it is investigating the incident, but that no further details are available at this time.
ABC News has reached out to the Sigma Chi headquarters for comment and has not yet received a response.
Hazing is against federal law. Georgia also has an anti-hazing law that deems hazing a misdemeanor of a high or aggravated nature that is punishable by up to one year in jail.
“Students and organizations are prohibited from participating in, condoning, encouraging, requiring, or allowing opportunity for hazing,” UGA states on its website.
This combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez, left, and Lyle Menendez. Photo Credit: CDCR
(NEW YORK) — Lyle and Erik Menendez have been behind bars for 35 years, and when both brothers were denied parole last week, their case reached another barricade.
But the brothers still have three potential paths to freedom:
This May, a judge resentenced them to 50 years to life in prison, making them immediately eligible for parole under youth offender parole laws. The judge said he was moved by the supportive letters from prison guards and was amazed by the work the brothers had accomplished to better the lives of their fellow inmates.
In separate hearings, commissioners stressed how the brothers repeatedly broke rules in prison, like illegal cellphone use.
“While cellphones may seem like something innocuous,” ABC News legal contributor Brian Buckmire said, the parole commissioners focused on “the criminality that allowed those cellphones to get into the prison,” like smuggling and bribes. “The money that was associated with trying to get those cellphones in oftentimes go to gangs within the prison,” Buckmire explained.
The brothers can apply for parole again in three years. With good behavior in prison, that wait can potentially be shortened to 18 months.
Clemency
A second possible path to release is clemency, which California Gov. Gavin Newsom can grant at any time.
“He can provide clemency in the form of commutation, further reducing the sentence of the brothers, making them eligible for release even today,” Buckmire said. “Or, a pardon, giving them a full forgiveness of the crime.”
“That has some political undertones,” Buckmire continued, “and no one knows just yet what information the governor will take from this parole hearing to use to either grant clemency or not.”
Bid for a new trial
The third path is the brothers’ habeas corpus petition, which they submitted in 2023 to try to get another trial based on new evidence not originally presented in court.
The petition presents two pieces of new evidence. One is allegations from a former member of the boy band Menudo, who revealed in the 2023 docuseries “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed” that he was raped by Jose Menendez. The second is a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin eight months before the murders detailing his alleged abuse; the cousin testified about the alleged abuse at trial, but the letter — which would have corroborated the cousin’s testimony — wasn’t unearthed until several years ago, according to the brothers’ attorney.
Defense attorneys argue that the “newfound information … would have resulted in a lesser penalty at trial,” Buckmire said.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who is firmly opposed to the brothers’ release, filed a response to the habeas corpus petition this month, stating that he “concluded that this petition does not come close to meeting the factual or legal standard to warrant a new trial.”
“The central defense of the Menendez brothers at trial has always been self-defense, not sexual abuse. The jury rejected this self-defense defense in finding them guilty of the horrific murders they perpetrated; five different appellate state and federal courts have affirmed those convictions, and nothing in the so-called ‘new’ evidence challenges any of those determinations,” Hochman said in a statement. “Our opposition to this ‘Hail Mary’ effort to obtain a new trial over 30 years later makes clear that justice, the facts, and the law demand the convictions stand.”
The petition is pending. The final decision will be made by a judge.
The U.S. Capitol is surrounded by colorful leaves on trees during a warm, fall day on November 7, 2023 in Washington DC. Kevin Carter/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — The latest fall season outlook by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is out, and it’s calling for balmy and possibly hot conditions for much of the country in the fall.
The seasonal outlook from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center forecasts whether parts of the country will be above, below or near average for parts of the country for the meteorological fall — September through November.
NOAA’s outlook puts much of the country with a higher chance of a warmer fall than normal, with the highest chance of warmer-than-average temperatures in the Southwest and New England. This means that most of the country will likely be milder than what is usually expected from September to November.
However, this outlook doesn’t forecast variations that happen over days, weeks, or over one month but rather what the overall average would likely look like.
September in a particular region could feature typical fall conditions, but October and November could end up well above normal, swaying the three-month average to above normal for the entire season. What the outlook means for a specific local area depends on the typical climate around it.
For example, average high temperatures for Phoenix, one of the hottest cities in the country, range from 104 degrees at the beginning of fall to 70 degrees towards the end of fall. New York City ranges from 76 degrees at the start of fall to 54 degrees through November.
While the seasonal outlook highlights what is likely for the fall and where abnormal warmth is likely, it doesn’t tell where any extreme heat would be or for how long it would be. It also doesn’t tell where any drastic cooldowns would be or for how long, if there are any.
What previous falls have taught us
According to the Environmental Protection Agency and NOAA, falls in the Contiguous United States have been getting warmer since the early 1900s, with the last few falls being warmer than the 30-year average.
A warmer fall has more impacts than just keeping the warmer weather and holding off on the winter jackets. According to Climate Central, warmer falls can prolong potentially dangerous summer-like heat and increase the demand and cost of cooling during warmer fall days.
The extended warmth affects the fall foliage — a natural spectacle that dazzles the country every fall and boosts local tourism. According to Columbia University, warmer falls can delay the start of changing leaves, shorten the fall foliage season overall, and reduce the vibrancy and color quality of fall foliage.
Why so warm?
A big part of what forecasters look for when predicting the temperature, and even their seasonal precipitation outlook, are climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean. The most influential one that forecasters look at is the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The ENSO is a natural variation of warmer, neutral and cooler waters along the equatorial waters of the eastern Pacific.
This natural variation is one of the biggest driving forces of large-scale weather patterns over the Pacific Ocean, and eventually over North America.
Forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center are expecting the ENSO to shift from a neutral pattern to a cooler pattern, or La Nina, by November. This would likely put the U.S. in a dominant weather pattern for much of the fall that sees the southern half of the country experience drier and warmer weather, while the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley will get wetter-than-normal conditions.
A firefighting helicopter crew drops water on the Flat Fire, Aug. 24, 2023, in Central Oregon. /Oregon Department of Forestry
(NEW YORK) — A veteran firefighter has died while battling one of multiple major wildfires burning in the West, authorities said on Monday.
The firefighter died on Sunday afternoon when he suffered a cardiac emergency while helping to fight the Bivens Creek Fire in southwest Montana, authorities, including Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, confirmed.
“Rapid medical assistance was rendered from a line paramedic; however, resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement.
The firefighter, later identified as Ruben Gonzales Romero of Keizer, Oregon, was one of more than 740 firefighters battling the Bivens Creek Fire, which was burning out of control about 15 miles northwest of Virginia City, Mont., officials said.
The fire, which started on Aug. 13, was 0% contained on Monday after burning 2,242 acres.
In a statement, Gianforte described Romero as a “fallen hero” and expressed his condolences to his family and colleagues.
Romero, a firefighter for over 20 years, “brought significant experience and wisdom to the fire line and the people whom he worked,” according to a statement from the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 6.
“We rest a little more comfortably knowing that he died doing what he loved,” the statement said.
Elsewhere in the West, a fast-spreading wildfire in Northern California’s wine country and a monstrous blaze in Central Oregon continued to threaten homes on Monday as firefighters battling the flames coped with extremely dry conditions and rugged terrain, authorities said.
Despite some growth overnight, the fire crews battling the Flat Fire in Central Oregon managed to increase containment of the fire overnight from 0% to 5%, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. Firefighters fighting the Pickett Fire in Northern California’s wine country managed to increase containment overnight to 13%, up from 11% on Sunday, according to fire officials.
The Flat Fire, which started on Thursday near Sisters, Oregon, about 100 miles northeast of Eugene, has burned nearly 22,000 acres, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. The fire has destroyed at least 10 structures, including four homes, according to the sheriff’s office. No injuries have been reported.
Nearly 3,000 homes remained threatened by Flat Fire, including some located within or near the perimeter of the blaze, according to the sheriff’s office. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for about 1,000 homes in the area.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
“We’re starting to get a handle on this fire,” Eric Perkins, an operations section chief on the fire, said in a video statement on Monday morning.
Despite minor growth on the north and west ends of the fire on Sunday night, Perkins said fire crews battling hot spots managed to keep the spread of the fire “relatively small.”
More than 800 firefighters are battling the blaze amid Red Flag warnings and heat advisories, according to fire officials. Temperatures across Central Oregon are expected to climb to the mid-90s on Monday, and winds are expected to be 5 to 10 mph on Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
The Pickett Fire
Meanwhile, the Pickett Fire in Napa County, California, has prompted mandatory evacuation orders as firefighters continued to battle the blaze from the ground and air into Monday.
As of Monday morning, more than 600 structures remain threatened by the fire, but there were no reports of structures being destroyed or damaged, CalFire said.
More than 2,000 firefighters, including 10 helicopter crews, are fighting the fire, according to Cal Fire.
The Pickett Fire broke out around 3 p.m. local time on Thursday near the town of Calistoga, officials said. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
“Fire crews worked overnight to strengthen control lines, mop up hot spots and protect nearby structures,” Cal Fire said in a statement on Monday. “Fire continues to be fueled by brush, grasses and dead timber, contributing to an increase inOre fire intensity. Firefighters are working in steep, challenging terrain as they continue to strengthen containment lines.”
The fire is in the same region as the massive Glass Fire that scorched more than 11,000 acres in 2020.
“Leadership with prior experience in this rugged terrain, specifically from the 2020 Glass Fire, has been instrumental in guiding effective suppression efforts,” CalFire said.
In Southern California, the extreme heat also led to elevated fire concerns, with red flag warnings in place for the mountains north of Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.
ABC News’ Tristan Maglunog contributed to this report.
(SAN BERNADINO COUNTY, CA) — Officials in California continue to search for the remains of Emmanuel Haro, the 7-month-old child who has been missing for nearly two weeks, after his parents were charged for his murder, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office.
Emmanuel Haro was reported missing on Aug. 14 at approximately 7:47 p.m. local time after his mother “reported being attacked outside a retail store on Yucaipa Boulevard,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement on Aug. 15.
During the investigation into Emmanuel’s disappearance, officials said they could not “rule out foul play,” as his mother’s statement contained inconsistencies.
The parents, 32-year-old Jake Mitchell Haro and 41-year-old Rebecca Renee Haro, were arrested at their residence in Cabazon, for the murder of Emmanuel, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said on Friday. The two have been charged with felony murder with malice.
“Based on the evidence, investigators determined a kidnapping in Yucaipa did not occur,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement on Friday.
While the arrests “mark a significant development” in the case, officials said “our focus remains on finding Emmanuel.”
“It is believed Emmanuel is deceased and the search to recover his remains is ongoing,” the sheriff’s department said.
On Sunday, officials conducted another search for the 7-month-old “along the westbound shoulder of the 60 Freeway, near Gilman Springs Road, in Moreno Valley,” with the father of the child and cadaver dogs accompanying detectives. That search concluded after “Emmanuel was not located,” authorities said.
“The circumstances surrounding this investigation are tragic and we will continue to search for Emmanuel. I trust our justice system will hold the parents accountable,” San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement on Friday.
Back when Emmanuel was originally reported missing, his mother told officials that “while she stood outside her vehicle, changing the child’s diaper, she was physically assaulted by an unknown male and rendered unconscious,” authorities said.
When she woke up, the child was gone, the mother said at the time, according to officials.
Once on the scene, scent-tracking dogs were deployed, but the 7-month-old “was not located,” officials said.
The sheriff’s department interviewed “multiple individuals” regarding the disappearance, including the child’s parents.
Since then, officials noted that have conducted “extensive” searches in the areas of Yucaipa and Cabazon and have also served “several search warrants at the Haro home.” Authorities also previously said they were reviewing a “large amount of surveillance video” from the areas of interest.
In an interview with Los Angeles ABC station KABC prior to her arrest, Rebecca Haro described her son as a “happy boy” and begged whoever has her son to “give him back to me.”
“Please don’t hurt my son,” she told KABC on Aug. 16.
The father, Jake Haro, previously pleaded guilty to willful cruelty to a child following a 2018 arrest, KABC reported.
“Whoever took our son, please bring him back,” Jake Haro told KABC on Aug. 16.
Rebecca Haro is currently held at the Robert Presley Detention Center, while Jake Haro is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility, according to jail records. Both are currently held without bail, the sheriff’s office said.
Officials said anyone who may have information relating to the case should contact the Homicide Detail at 909-890-4904.
Jake Haro’s attorney did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. It is unclear whether Rebecca Haro has an attorney who can speak on her behalf. The next court appearance for the parents is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 a.m., according to jail records.
(WASHINGTON) — On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees on Monday warned Congress that the Trump administration’s changes and leadership at the agency could harm the United States if disaster strikes.
“Since January 2025, FEMA has been under the leadership of individuals lacking legal qualifications, Senate approval, and the demonstrated background required of a FEMA Administrator,” around 180 employees wrote to Congress on Monday.
FEMA is an agency of the Department of Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“Decisions made by FEMA’s Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator (SOPDA) David Richardson, Former SOPDA Cameron Hamilton, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem erode the capacity of FEMA and our State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) partners, hinder the swift execution of our mission, and dismiss experienced staff whose institutional knowledge and relationships are vital to ensure effective emergency management,” they added.
The agency went through a force reduction and Noem placed a tighter grip on grants given out by the agency.
In the months after Katrina, which killed almost 1,300 and resulted in billions of dollars worth of damage to New Orleans in August 2005, Congress passed the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 with an effort to better streamline emergency management at the federal level.
FEMA employees wrote that the “agency’s current trajectory reflects a clear departure from the intent” of that legislation.
Current and former employees outlined six different issues with the Trump administration — ranging from opposing a “qualified” administrator to opposing cuts to the agency.
The Trump administration has said in the past they are looking to streamline the agency and the cuts are necessary.
In a statement sent to ABC News, a DHS spokesperson cited its responses to recent flooding in New Mexico and Texas as examples of its reforms’ effectiveness.
“For too long, FEMA was bogged down by red tape, inefficiency, and outdated processes that failed to get disaster dollars into survivors’ hands. The Trump Administration has made accountability and reform a priority so that taxpayer dollars actually reach the people and communities they are meant to help,” they said.
“It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform. Change is always hard. It is especially for those invested in the status quo. But our obligation is to survivors, not to protecting broken systems,” the spokesperson added.
