FEMA Halts Emergency Preparedness Grants Pending Updated Population Data

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has suspended the distribution of emergency management performance grants, which fund disaster preparedness programs across states, until states provide revised population counts that exclude immigrants deported since President Donald Trump took office. FEMA’s website shows the program was allocated $319.5 million for fiscal year 2025.

According to FEMA, the grants are awarded solely based on population data. A spokesperson explained that recent deportations and demographic shifts created a need for updated numbers to ensure fair distribution of federal funds. States began receiving notices this week requiring them to submit a certified population report by September 30, detailing their methodology and confirming that individuals removed under U.S. immigration laws are excluded from the tally.

The move aligns with the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement agenda. Trump has stated that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding will not be provided to local governments unless they agree to support federal immigration enforcement, eliminate diversity programs, and stop offering benefits to undocumented immigrants. In August, Trump also ordered the Commerce Department to begin work on a new census that excludes individuals in the country illegally, revisiting an earlier attempt blocked by the courts during his first term.

Human rights groups have criticized Trump’s hard-line deportation drive, while the administration insists that funding allocation should reflect only lawful residents. On Tuesday, however, a federal judge in Rhode Island temporarily blocked the administration from withholding $233 million in grant funds from Democratic-led states.

Trump, who has previously threatened to gut or abolish FEMA, has argued that states should carry primary responsibility for disaster response. Despite ongoing legal challenges, FEMA maintains that the requirement for updated population data applies to all states and is unrelated to recent court rulings.