California Fights Back to Protect FEMA Disaster Funds

California cities and counties are fighting back against the Trump administration’s attempt to tie FEMA and disaster preparedness funding to unrelated political demands. A coalition of 29 local governments — including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San José, and Santa Clara County — has filed a lawsuit challenging more than $350 million in threatened cuts to Department of Homeland Security and FEMA grants. At stake is money that funds emergency response, disaster prevention, and security for major global sporting events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Los Angeles alone could lose $56 million.

Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti explained, “For almost 75 years, Congress has been clear that one of the federal government’s core functions is to provide resources and support to state and local governments to ensure that they are prepared to respond to emergencies and disasters.” He said the new conditions — requiring cooperation with immigration enforcement and abandoning diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives — are “unconstitutional” and jeopardize essential services like hiring first responders and funding search and rescue operations.

Officials stress that FEMA funding is not optional in California. With its unique mix of earthquake zones, wildfire risks, flooding threats, and global event hosting, the state depends on these dollars to save lives. San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu put it bluntly: “Emergency management is the backbone of safe and resilient communities, and threatening its funding puts real lives at risk.” Oakland City Attorney Ryan Richardson echoed the urgency, noting, “Oakland’s ability to respond to fires and other emergencies is quite literally a matter of life and death… If they can be called upon to fight fires, we will certainly fight to protect the resources that they need and deserve.”

The stakes go beyond California. Local governments nationwide rely on FEMA grants to strengthen fire departments, protect ports and transit systems, and prepare for hazards from hurricanes to mass shootings. As Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas warned, “The potential loss of disaster preparedness funding adds insult to injury, threatening programs and essential personnel that help keep our communities safe.”

The coalition’s message is clear: FEMA dollars exist to protect people from disasters, not to serve as bargaining chips for political agendas.

Link: ABC7