The Trump administration is freezing FEMA aid for ongoing disaster relief, amid the federal government’s partial shutdown — an action that generated a new layer of uncertainty and sharp pushback Monday in Los Angeles County’s fire-scorched burn zones.

Effective Sunday morning, funding ceased indefinitely under the federal agency’s Public Assistance Program for ongoing and “legacy” disasters, according to an announcement Sunday from the Department of Homeland Security.

The program reimburses 75% or more of eligible state and local disaster costs, including debris removal and public infrastructure restoration, according to the federal government.

Local emergency management officials say the funds have been a vital piece in efforts to rebuild, as it shares costs with local and state aid programs.

In the agency’s Sunday announcement, FEMA said it “will only carry out Public Assistance activities for new or recent disasters requiring immediate emergency action to protect lives or prevent catastrophic damage.”

The freeze on aid while “prioritizing” critical services is part of a series of what Homeland Security officials called “emergency measures.”

It comes as the most recent federal government shutdown — this time, partial — enters its second week.

While local elected leaders have touted faster-moving permit processing, thousands of survivors have yet to return to the areas as they grapple with insurance coverage gaps, high construction costs, environmental concerns and waiting out litigation and financial settlements.

And now, they see a polarized federal government that is impacting real programs.

“This uncertainty and added stress is the last thing our residents need or deserve,” said Altadena Town Council Chair Nic Arnzen. “We are exhausted from the politics and trying to just focus on how to get our elected officials to do the right thing, stop playing politics, and help our survivors in this continuing time of need.”

Lawmakers and the White House have offered no signs of compromise in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers. It’s that battled that has led to the broader pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which FEMA falls under.

“The American people depend on this department every day, and we are making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a statement accompanying the announcement of the freeze.

Noem blamed Democrats in Congress for the move, which she said will be in place until funding is restored.

The partial government shutdown began Feb. 14 after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump’s team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September.

Unlike the record 43-day shutdown last fall, the closures are narrowly confined, affecting only agencies under the DHS umbrella, including the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Under FEMA’s pause:

• Public assistance will not move forward for ongoing or legacy disasters. FEMA will only carry out its Public Assistance program activities for new or recent disasters requiring immediate emergency action to protect lives or prevent catastrophic damage;
• All non-emergency recovery work is paused, including project formulation, long-term recovery efforts, planning, and administrative processing that does not address an imminent threat;
• Non-disaster-related activities are halted so limited personnel and resources can be redirected to urgent response operations; and
• New initiatives, discretionary programs, pilot efforts, and policy development are suspended until funding is restored.

“These actions reflect the reality of operating without appropriations,” according to a statement from DHS. “FEMA cannot continue normal recovery operations under these conditions and must prioritize only its most critical, life-saving responsibilities. Full recovery and assistance operations will resume once funding is restored. ”

It was unclear where such impact would be felt most acutely in the burn zones, where on Jan. 7, 2025, the Eaton and Altadena fires left 31 people dead and thousands of homes and business destroyed.

What was clear is that officials are concerned about delays.

“News of the unprecedented measures taken by DHS that affect the ability of FEMA to deliver resources via the Public Assistance Program is a frustrating development and highly disappointing,” said a statement from Los Angeles County’s Office of Emergency Management. “Delays in the administration of the FEMA Public Assistance Program affect the restoration of our communities and impact ongoing hazard mitigation for future hazards and disasters.”

Indeed, FEMA officials told the House Appropriations subcommittee just days before the shutdown commenced that states and local communities will be forced to wait for long-term response work to get going again, under the shutdown.

But in L.A. County, officials said a successful recovery depends on timely funding.

“The success of our recovery is dependent on timely reimbursement for on-going and completed work,” the L.A. County OEM’s statement said. “Needed approvals for repair and reconstruction activities, and our continuing relationships with FEMA, state, and local officials is crucial to the success of these efforts.”

In January, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will conduct soil sampling, funded by FEMA, at randomly selected properties in the Eaton fire area to help residents validate the effectiveness of Los Angeles wildfire cleanup efforts and develop best practices for future wildfire responses nationwide. That effort followed the completion of EPA’s cleanup operations.

EPA officials on Monday said its soil sampling initiative in the Eaton fire area is unaffected by the FEMA funding pauses and continues as scheduled.

Under the program, individual property owners receive reports with their lead results, and are given guidance on available resources from local and state agencies. EPA said it will also share aggregated findings with county officials to support long-term recovery and resilience planning. Results from the sampling effort are expected by the end of spring.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, the pause will not cause a delay for SBA funding for Eaton and Palisades fire survivors.

“SBA’s disaster loan program operates independently of FEMA and continues to operate as normal,” SBA spokesperson Maggie Clemmons said, adding that the agency has approved 12,600 disaster loans for Los Angeles totaling $3.2 billion in disaster relief.

But if the freeze doesn’t thaw, there was concern about other programs.

“It’s my understanding that emergency relief is not affected by the shutdown, but FEMA programs designed to help California make properties more resilient might be affected,” said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, who represents the Pacific Palisades area on Congress.

For instance, FEMA offers hazard mitigation grants to state and local governments to help reduce or mitigate losses in future disasters.

In December, Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote to congressional leaders seeking $34 billion in aide for fire survivors and rebuilding — funding that has yet to materialize in an era of  congressional stalemates at the federal level.

“The shutdown is creating uncertainty for communities working hard to rebuild,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. “My team and I are closely monitoring the situation, coordinating with our federal partners, and encouraging a prompt resolution. Eaton Fire survivors need critical recovery resources to resume without further delay.”