The Trump administration is dropping appeals of two federal court rulings that found it improperly sought to coerce states to cooperate with immigration authorities as a condition of receiving some Federal Emergency Management Agency grants.
In a bulletin Monday, FEMA said it and the Department of Homeland Security would no longer challenge the court orders that required them agency to withdraw and change grant terms and conditions imposed by former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, whom President Donald Trump fired in March.
The bulletin notes that FEMA has implemented the court-ordered updates and notified recipients that the terms were rescinded. It said the agency initially appealed the court decisions, but that “FEMA and DHS have decided not to pursue these appeals.”
The withdrawal of the two appeals is the latest change to FEMA policy made by new DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who also lifted a Noem policy that had delayed funding by requiring her to approve payments exceeding $100,000. DHS did not return requests for comment.
