Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said California Gov. Gavin Newsom was making "garbage filing decisions" related to legal challenges against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Noem ordered that every FEMA contract and grant worth that exceeds $100,000 must cross her desk for approval, CNN reported in June. The latest reporting by the outlet insinuated that this rule “stripped [FEMA] of much of its autonomy” during the flood, which raged across at least six counties and killed over 120 people in the early hours of July 4.