Susan Illston

“what relief remains outstanding”

Susan Illston · said 2026-09-11 · reported 2026-09-14

The judge said the parties have until Oct. 9 to submit briefings on outstanding relief in the case.

“that the lost Signal messages would have been unfavorable to Defendants because they would have been further evidence”

Susan Illston · said 2026-09-11 · reported 2026-09-14

The judge faulted FEMA and DHS officials for using the Signal messaging app to discuss staffing cuts and deleting the messages relevant to the lawsuit.

“There is no evidence in the record reflecting reasoned decision-making for this about-face or for the subsequent conditions DHS placed on FEMA’s renewal authority,”

Susan Illston · said 2026-09-11 · reported 2026-09-14

Judge Illston found that DHS acted unlawfully by taking control of FEMA's authority and pushing the agency to cut thousands of disaster-response jobs.