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... While FEMA is part of DHS, a federal law adopted after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 says the department "may not substantially or significantly reduce (FEMA's) authorities, responsibilities, or functions."

Agreeing with unions that sued, Illston said the department violated the law when it moved last year to stop FEMA from renewing the temporary contracts of thousands of on-call reservists who respond to disasters.

"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," Illston wrote. ...

Democracy Forward, a left-leaning group that represents the plaintiffs in the case, applauded the ruling in a statement.

"Congress created FEMA to operate with independence, given its mission to prepare and respond quickly when disasters arise," said Skye Perryman, the group's president and CEO.

The unions in January amended a lawsuit they had filed last year that more broadly challenged mass layoffs initiated by the Trump administration.

The planned cuts at the emergency management agency are unlawful, the unions say, because they would undermine its core disaster response mission, were not approved by Congress, and were ordered by former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rather than initiated within FEMA itself. ...