Under the Trump administration, help has often been slow to arrive. It took weeks for President Trump to approve assistance for people affected by tornadoes that hit Missouri in May, leading Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to accuse the administration of “slow-walking” aid.

After flash floods hit central Texas on July 4, it took days for FEMA search and rescue teams to arrive. The agency’s urban search and rescue chief resigned in protest, CNN reported.

In the wake of that disaster, FEMA failed to staff its hotline for survivors seeking help, leading to more than 40,000 calls from survivors going unanswered.

FEMA’s staffing problems appear to have been caused by a new policy under DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that requires that she personally sign off on all expenditures of $100,000 or more. FEMA is part of DHS.

Hurricane Katrina forced changes at FEMA. Trump is rolling them back (NPR)

Of the 182 FEMA employees who signed the letter to Congress, 36 attached their names, while the rest withheld their identities for fear of retaliation.

Those who used their names received emails on Tuesday night saying they had been placed on paid administrative leave “effective immediately, and continuing until further notice,” according to copies of the emails reviewed by The New York Times.

The emails did not provide a reason for the decision. Representatives for FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FEMA Suspends Staff Who Signed a Letter Criticizing Trump (NYTimes)