Expert says DHS shutdown could hamper local disaster response by limiting FEMA support

The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is restricting Federal Emergency Management Agency support and could leave local emergency responders without critical federal assistance, Jeffrey Halstead said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Halstead, director of strategic accounts at Genasys and a retired police chief with more than 30 years in law enforcement, said shutdowns typically stall grant reviews and the distribution of pre-awarded funds that local emergency managers rely on. “This drastically impacts their ability to plan and to coordinate a lot of their planned response events,” he told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reported that the Trump administration ordered FEMA to suspend deployments of hundreds of aid workers during the shutdown. More than 300 FEMA disaster responders who were preparing for assignments were told to halt travel, and grant systems are not fully operational until lawmakers reach a funding deal, the outlet reported.

Halstead warned the limits on FEMA staff and resources could slow the coordinated federal, state and local response that is often activated within hours of a major incident. He cited ongoing recovery work in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene as an example of how delays in funding and personnel can prolong the recovery phase, saying the process is the “final piece for the emergency management cycle” to restore normalcy.

Lawmakers in Congress have not reached a deal to end the partial shutdown, and the dispute has included demands for changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement oversight, the interview noted. President Donald Trump has called the impasse a “Democrat shutdown,” and Halstead urged lawmakers to reach an agreement, saying delays in reopening DHS and clearing backlogs could last at least two weeks and could take much longer to work through.

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