DHS shifts focus, halting climate change work and terminology in latest move by Donald Trump appointees

On Friday, top officials at the US Department of Homeland Security received a memo directing an immediate halt to all climate change-related work and the agency’s removal of climate-related terminology.

According to Bloomberg News, the memo instructs senior leaders to “eliminate all climate change activities and the use of climate change terminology in DHS policies and programs, to the fullest extent allowed by law. ” The changes aim to ensure “alignment” with President Trump’s executive orders, which undo several climate-related directives issued by former President Joe Biden.

The directive from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem represents the latest effort by President Donald Trump and his appointees to reverse federal initiatives aimed at combating global warming. This move could impact disaster response operations, which fall under the jurisdiction of DHS.

In the three weeks since Trump’s inauguration, his administration has already taken steps to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, halted the distribution of billions in federal grant funds allocated by two key climate laws, and swiftly dismissed or placed hundreds of Environmental Protection Agency staff members on administrative leave.

According to the document, Noem instructed agency leaders to eliminate “climate change terminology in all DHS programs, policies, products, communications, and activities. “

With a workforce of over 260,000, the Department of Homeland Security oversees agencies like Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection. However, the new directive may most affect the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA is the country’s primary agency for organizing federal disaster responses, and with the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, storms, and floods linked to rising temperatures, the agency has been handling more disasters and allocating more funds to assist affected communities.

This climate shift within DHS comes as alarming trends continue. Experts confirmed that January 2025 was the hottest on record, surpassing the previous high set in January 2024.

-With inputs from Bloomberg