Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has privately urged top Trump administration officials to dramatically reduce the scope of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to multiple sources familiar with a high-level meeting held Tuesday at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters.
During the closed-door session, Noem laid out her vision for FEMA’s future, telling attendees that she wants to eliminate the agency’s involvement in long-term disaster recovery and community preparedness. Instead, FEMA would be refocused on providing immediate, life-saving assistance in the wake of disasters, such as search-and-rescue operations, emergency shelter, food, and water.
The meeting, which came just one day after Noem publicly declared during a Cabinet meeting that “we’re going to eliminate FEMA,” was attended by FEMA Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton, longtime Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski, and other senior DHS and White House officials. According to people in the room, Noem reiterated that FEMA’s role should be limited and more responsibility should be shifted to states and local governments following President Trump’s recent executive order.
Noem and Lewandowski reportedly discussed the idea of rebranding FEMA as a smaller emergency response agency under direct White House control, potentially removing it from DHS entirely. Under that vision, FEMA—or its successor—would no longer issue billions in grants for disaster resilience or rebuilding. Instead, state and local governments would shoulder more of the cost and responsibility for long-term recovery.
A DHS spokesperson defended the push, saying, “We are grateful the press is covering Secretary Noem’s efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within the Department of Homeland Security.”
While no formal plan has been adopted, the meeting signaled that top officials are seriously considering moving ahead with sweeping reforms or even abolishing FEMA altogether. The agency, created in 1979 and moved under DHS in 2003, has been under mounting scrutiny from the Trump administration, which has accused it of inefficiency and overreach.
In January, Trump created a FEMA Review Council, co-chaired by Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to evaluate FEMA’s performance and recommend changes by July. However, insiders say the administration is now considering scrapping the council altogether in favor of a more direct path toward dismantling the agency.
The effort has rattled FEMA staff, who say operations have slowed as they await guidance. Hiring and grant approvals have reportedly stalled, and over $100 billion in awarded disaster funding remains frozen.
Critics warn that dismantling FEMA could have dire consequences for communities across the country, particularly in states with limited resources. “Eliminating FEMA will dramatically hurt red states. It will hurt rural areas. It will hurt cities. Places will not recover,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), a former state emergency director who has introduced bipartisan legislation to make FEMA an independent, Cabinet-level agency.
Noem’s allies argue that states are better equipped to manage disaster response and that cutting FEMA’s bureaucracy will result in faster, more efficient aid. But many within DHS and the emergency management community remain skeptical, questioning whether states can bear the full burden as natural disasters grow more frequent and severe.