Homeland Security Department reassigns FEMA employees to help with mass deportation efforts

The Department of Homeland Security has moved multiple Federal Emergency Management Agency workers to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help with the Trump administration's mass deportations initiative. 

The FEMA workers will be helping vet and process the applications of those applying to be ICE agents.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said these reassignments will not hinder FEMA's core mission of providing disaster relief to states that need it. 

“To support this effort, select FEMA employees will temporarily be detailed to ICE for 90 days to assist with hiring and vetting,” McLaughlin confirmed in a statement to The Washington Post. “Their deployment will NOT disrupt FEMA’s critical operations. FEMA remains fully prepared for Hurricane Season. Patriotic Americans are encouraged to apply at join.ice.gov.”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said during a Fox News interview Wednesday that there have been over 80,000 applicants to become ICE agents. 

So far, DHS has transferred over 150 people to ICE. Over 100 people have been transferred from FEMA's human resources department and about 50 from the security team.