DHS requires prior authorization for all FEMA travel during the shutdown

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordered that, effective February 18, 2026, all travel by personnel of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must have written authorization from the department, even when funded from the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), whose resources have not expired despite the current budget hiatus.

Control amid budget disruption

DHS, which houses FEMA, faces a shutdown following the lack of legislative agreement on its budget. In that context, the internal bulletin sent to staff states that no new travel may begin without prior written approval, including those linked to disasters and charged to the DRF.

For deployments intended to support life safety, the Office of Response and Recovery (ORR) will be responsible for submitting requests under the new guideline. The DRF, an independent source used to fund response and recovery operations for major emergencies as well as long-term rebuilding projects, had more than $7 billion available in January, according to information reported by The Hill.

Previous travel suspension

The directive was issued after DHS suspended at least some FEMA travel earlier in the week. An internal mailer noted that the suspension order applied to all DHS-funded travel during the budget disruption and, at the time, included disaster-related missions. Subsequently, a FEMA spokesperson indicated that travel linked to "active disasters" was not affected by that initial instruction.