Congressman Krishnamoorthi Warns DHS that ICE Operations Reportedly Undermined FEMA Flood-Relief Work in Illinois

WASHINGTON – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today raised serious concerns about reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations interfered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s disaster-assessment work in flood-damaged neighborhoods across the Chicago area. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Congressman Krishnamoorthi detailed how ICE deployments allegedly overlapped with FEMA field teams, hindering the federal government’s ability to evaluate storm damage after widespread flooding in Cook County earlier this year.

“Severe storms swept through Cook County and other parts of Illinois, unleashing torrential rainfall, destructive winds, and flash flooding that devastated homes and businesses,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi wrote in the letter. “Flood survivors are coping with health hazards, including mold and contamination from sewage backup—conditions that can lead to respiratory problems for children and older adults.”

The congressman also explained FEMA’s efforts after the denial of federal disaster assistance, writing “FEMA personnel began conducting field surveys to document the extent of the damage and assess unmet needs. FEMA had notified DHS in advance that its survey teams would be operating in specific areas and that ICE should not deploy in those same locations to avoid compromising FEMA’s mission.”

Congressman Krishnamoorthi went on to add, “Residents and local officials reported a visible ICE presence in the very neighborhoods where FEMA teams were on the ground, surveying sites, and questioning individuals. This reckless overlap not only jeopardized the safety of FEMA employees but also made it virtually impossible for them to carry out their duties. Families who had lost everything hesitated to seek help, fearing that a knock from a FEMA inspector could be a pretext for detention. FEMA staff reportedly suspended their fieldwork after concluding that ICE’s proximity had rendered their mission unsafe and unworkable.”

Calling the situation “unacceptable” and “a profound breach of public trust,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi has asked Secretary Noem to respond by December 10, 2025 to the following questions:

1. Who within DHS or ICE made the decision to deploy ICE personnel into the neighborhoods where FEMA had already indicated it would be conducting disaster assessments, and what reasons were given for doing so despite FEMA’s warning?
2. What specific activities ICE personnel were conducting in these areas during the periods in question, and how DHS justified those activities occurring concurrently with FEMA’s field operations?
3. What policies or internal guidance govern ICE’s conduct around FEMA disaster-response missions, and how DHS explains the apparent failure to adhere to—or enforce—those policies in this instance?
4. How DHS assesses the impact of ICE’s presence on FEMA’s ability to carry out its mission, including whether residents declined to engage with FEMA or whether FEMA personnel faced safety concerns that forced them to suspend fieldwork?
5. What corrective actions DHS will implement to prevent ICE operations from interfering with disaster-relief missions in the future, and whether DHS will conduct a review to identify the causes of this breakdown in coordination.

The full letter is available here.