The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced new conditions for disaster-aid funding that prohibit states and volunteer organizations receiving federal money from assisting undocumented immigrants, according to a Washington Post review of updated guidelines and interviews with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff.
Under the revised fiscal 2025 contracts, groups accepting federal grants must agree not to "operate any program that benefits illegal immigrants or incentivizes illegal immigration." They are also required to cooperate with immigration enforcement, provide access to detainees when requested by immigration officers, and refrain from publicizing enforcement operations.
Experts and aid workers warn the changes could significantly restrict disaster relief for vulnerable populations. "There is no historical context for this," said Scott Robinson, a FEMA historian and emergency management expert at Arizona State University to The Washington Post. "The notion that the federal government would use these operations for surveillance is entirely new territory."
Faith-based and nonprofit groups—including the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and local disaster-response organizations—say the policy would force them to verify recipients' immigration status before providing aid, potentially delaying assistance in disaster zones. Many of these groups traditionally serve communities with large Latino populations, where mixed-status households are common.
The new terms could also conflict with state and local laws. In New York, for example, disaster workers are barred from asking about immigration status. "First, the federal government has never attempted to tell the nonprofit sector who we can and cannot serve," said Peter Gudaitis, executive director of New York Disaster Interfaith Services to The Post. "Further, as a faith-based organization, we have the right to determine who we serve."
The rules also prohibit the use of federal funds to "advance or promote DEI and/or DEIA" policies, raising concerns about impacts on hiring practices, particularly among nonprofits that rely on bilingual and culturally competent staff.
The changes come amid broader shifts at FEMA under the Trump administration. Last month, the agency announced a temporary "detention support grant program," allocating over $600 million to states to build immigration detention facilities before quietly removing details from its website.
This week, several FEMA employees were placed on leave after signing a letter warning that political interference was undermining the agency's ability to respond to disasters effectively.
The employees had signed a letter titled "Katrina Declaration," which accused President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees FEMA, of undermining the agency's capabilities, ignoring its congressionally mandated authority and appointing unqualified leadership.
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