The Supreme Court split on presidential firing authority while a federal judge ruled the Trump administration’s FEMA workforce cuts unlawful. Chief legal correspondent Shannon Bream detailed the decisions.
Supreme Court decisions reshape executive power
Chief legal correspondent Shannon Bream reported that the Supreme Court affirmed President Trump’s authority to dismiss a Federal Trade Commission commissioner in Trump v. Slaughter, but barred unilateral dismissal of a Federal Reserve governor in Trump v. Cook. The rulings redefine the limits of executive power over independent agencies.
FEMA workforce cuts declared illegal
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled that the Trump administration’s order to halve FEMA’s staff violated a 2005 post‑Hurricane Katrina law that bars DHS from substantially reducing FEMA’s functions. She said the department acted without reasoned decision‑making.
Illston projected staffing at 11,383 employees for the upcoming fiscal year — about half of previous levels — without any statutory basis. The judge noted the figure was chosen arbitrarily.
The unions suing the administration argued the cuts would cripple FEMA’s core disaster‑response mission, violate statutory limits, and were imposed by then‑Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rather than FEMA officials. They contend the directive lacks congressional approval.
President Donald Trump has suggested eliminating FEMA and handing emergency preparedness to the states, while the administration claims FEMA retains flexibility to set staffing levels. Officials say the agency can adjust workforce without congressional mandate.
Illston criticized FEMA and DHS officials for using the Signal messaging app on personal phones to discuss cuts and deleting messages, saying the lost communications would be presumed unfavorable to the defendants. She warned the missing messages could prove unlawful conduct.
Reuters contributed to this report. The ruling remains pending further briefings due by Oct. 9.
DHS announces costly crackdown on states
The administration also announced a costly crackdown on states that refuse to cooperate on election security, citing fraud concerns, though no implementation details were released. No response was given by DHS or FEMA when asked for comment.
