FEMA has welcomed back at least 15 whistleblowers who were placed on indefinite administrative leave in August after signing a public letter protesting moves by former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to communications reviewed by NBC News. The decision to allow the employees to return to work marks the latest sign of new DHS leadership breaking from the more aggressive policies pushed by Noem, who was replaced last month by Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.
The move comes a month before hurricane season is set to begin and follows months of pressure from members of Congress. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., received confirmation of the decision after emailing the agency on April 16, following Mullin's confirmation hearing. DHS wrote Kim: "All employees associated with this matter were placed on paid administrative leave and were offered a return to duty status effective April 30, 2026," according to an email shared with NBC News.
What the Right Is Saying
FEMA did not comment on specific personnel actions or cases, but acknowledged that the agency was "addressing outstanding personnel actions." A FEMA spokesperson said: "As we approach the 2026 hurricane season and the FIFA World Cup, FEMA is taking targeted steps to stabilize our workforce and strengthen readiness. Under new leadership, FEMA is addressing outstanding personnel actions to ensure workforce stability and a strong, deployable surge force for upcoming national events and potential disasters."
The agency has noted that Noem's policy requiring all expenditures over $100,000 to be approved by her has been rescinded under the new leadership. Noem was ousted last month after implementing a series of controversial changes at DHS, including workforce reductions and stricter spending controls.
What the Left Is Saying
Sen. Andy Kim said in a statement Thursday that "these public servants never should have faced retaliation for raising the alarm and trying to keep Americans safe." He added: "I've called for these whistleblowers to be reinstated and applaud their bravery and dedication in the face of attacks from this administration."
The 15 employees were among those who signed a letter in August, known as The Katrina Declaration, complaining that agency staff were being gutted. James Stroud, a FEMA statistician whose job is to estimate how many people will be impacted by disasters, said he received an email out-of-the-blue Wednesday morning saying he could now return to work and showed up at FEMA headquarters at 8 a.m. Thursday ready to work. "It seems random and it's really not clear what sparked this," Stroud told NBC News. "And it's so wild that we have been paid to do nothing for eight months. This just seems like such an obvious thing that never should have happened."
What the Numbers Show
According to The Katrina Declaration letter signed by the whistleblowers in August, a third of full-time FEMA staff had already left the agency prior to their placement on administrative leave. The 15 employees were among those placed on paid administrative leave after signing the public letter protesting Noem's management decisions. They have been away from their positions for approximately eight months. DHS confirmed all employees associated with this matter were offered return to duty status effective April 30, 2026.
The Bottom Line
The reinstatements signal a significant shift in approach at FEMA under new leadership compared to the tenure of Noem, who implemented stricter spending controls and workforce reductions that drew criticism from some agency staff. The timing is notable as hurricane season approaches and the agency prepares for multiple major events in 2026. It remains unclear whether additional former employees beyond the 15 confirmed will be offered reinstatement or what specific factors led to this decision being made now.
A FEMA spokesperson said the agency "remains committed to operational readiness for all major challenges in 2026." The return of these workers could bolster FEMA's capacity ahead of potential disaster response needs, though questions remain about the broader staffing situation at the agency following months of departures and administrative leave placements.