Civil Rights and Protections During the Federal Response to Hurricanes Harvey and María

This report examines the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster response and compliance with federal civil rights laws and policies in Texas and Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Harvey and María.

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for the first time in its 65-year history examines the civil rights implications of federal disaster response. This report examines factors such as barriers to providing aid, FEMA’s coordinating role in disaster recovery efforts including local factors impacting damage assessments and delivering resources, and efforts by federal agencies to comply with the Stafford Act and other civil rights obligations.