FEMA has informed a federal court that it has begun offering reappointments to term-limited CORE disaster workers whose contracts were not renewed in January, according to a notice filed by U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian. The move follows the reinstatement of 14 staffers who had been on administrative leave and comes amid a lawsuit led by the American Federation of Government Employees alleging the nonrenewals threatened disaster readiness. FEMA told staff some short-term 90-day extensions may be converted into one-year reappointments and that eligible reservists may be renewed for two years ahead of hurricane season and major events.
FEMA Begins Offering Reappointments To CORE Workers After January Nonrenewals
FILE - Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., speaks with reporters on the steps at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) attorneys told a U.S. District Court in San Francisco that the agency has begun contacting term-limited disaster workers whose contracts lapsed in January to offer new appointments. The notice, filed by U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian, signals a partial reversal of a controversial personnel action that spawned a lawsuit from unions, scientific groups and local governments.
What FEMA Has Said
The court filing states FEMA has "initiated contact to offer new appointments" to CORE staff whose contracts expired during the first three weeks of January. FEMA did not disclose in the filing how many employees have been offered reappointments, and the agency did not immediately respond to follow-up questions.
Background: The CORE Workforce
FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees (CORE) serves on two- to four-year assignments that are routinely renewed to allow the agency to scale surge capacity. There are roughly 10,000 CORE personnel nationwide, and current and former staffers told the AP that it is common for employees to serve in these term-limited roles for many years or to retire from them.
January Nonrenewals and the Pause
At the start of 2026, FEMA abruptly stopped renewing some CORE contracts as they expired and limited others to 90-day extensions. The agency paused the nonrenewals in late January—shortly before a severe winter storm impacted several states. By that pause, 159 COREs had not been renewed, according to a sworn declaration from FEMA’s temporary leader, Karen S. Evans.
Legal Challenge
A coalition led by the American Federation of Government Employees sued the administration, alleging the nonrenewals were part of a plan to slash FEMA’s workforce and undermine the agency’s statutory responsibility to maintain national disaster readiness. Evans denied a plan for a "blanket" elimination of COREs and asserted the nonrenewals "do not threaten FEMA's ability to perform its statutory mandate." Plaintiffs told the court they will respond after "proper factual investigation," and they are scheduled to depose former DHS Deputy Chief of Staff Joseph Guy as part of discovery.
Reinstatements and Reappointment Details
This week FEMA also reinstated 14 employees who had been on paid administrative leave for eight months after signing a public letter criticizing agency policies. An internal email reviewed by the AP notified staff that CORE employees with contracts ending between January and May who previously received 90-day extensions "may be reappointed for up to one year," and that employees whose contracts end after May are also eligible for reappointment. The email said eligible FEMA reservists could be renewed for two years; roughly 7,000 reservists in the agency’s surge workforce have contracts expiring May 2.
Implications
Officials framed the moves as efforts to ensure workforce stability and a strong, deployable surge force ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season and major events such as the FIFA World Cup. Observers note the actions also reflect a shift in posture under Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin compared with the approach of his predecessor, Kristi Noem, who was removed as DHS leader after adopting a tougher stance toward FEMA.
“Our readiness directly impacts our ability to help Americans in need,” the agency email said. “Every employee plays a critical role in meeting these challenges.”
How the outreach and reappointment offers will affect the pending litigation remains unclear; plaintiffs’ attorneys indicated further investigation before responding to the court filing.
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