WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the aftermath of Hurricane Isaias, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Co-Chairs of the Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Caucus, introduced the Emergency Preparedness in Higher Education Act. This legislation authorizes $100 million in annual federal funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to distribute to higher education institutions. These grants would improve institutions’ capacity, planning, and facilities to better prepare for, and respond to, disasters and other emergencies that directly impact students, administrators, and staff. The need for greater disaster preparedness was evident when Hurricanes Katrina, Ida, and Irma devastated universities in Louisiana and Florida, and when wildfires forced evacuations of California campuses.

“Our climate crisis makes extreme weather events more frequent and severe, so we need to ensure uniquely vulnerable communities, such as our colleges and universities, have the support and resources they need to prepare for and respond to disasters and emergency situations,” said Congressman Carter. “I’m partnering with Rep. Moskowitz to introduce this legislation and take necessary steps toward preparing our institutions of higher education for protecting the lives, housing, property, and futures of our young adults and the staff that support them before disaster strikes – not after a storm has already arrived.”

“As Florida’s former emergency management director, I know that the time to prepare for a disaster is before it strikes. No student should be left wondering where to go or whether their campus can keep them safe when a disaster hits,” said Congressman Moskowitz. “Families send their children to college trusting that their safety is a priority. That responsibility starts long before the first evacuation order.”

Background

American colleges and universities function as small communities, often housing tens of thousands of students, staff, and researchers in concentrated areas, making them uniquely vulnerable to a range of natural disasters and other emergencies. Campus shootings and other acts of violence, from Virginia Tech to Michigan State, have shown that institutions need well-rehearsed active-threat plans and protocols, reliable mass-notification systems, trained threat-assessment teams, and coordination with local law enforcement. Additionally, climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of hurricanes, wildfires, floods, extreme heat, and other events that can shut down campuses, displace students, and damage infrastructure.

Institutions have a duty of care for the many students who live on campus far from family, including international students, students with disabilities, and low-income students who face additional challenges. Investing in comprehensive emergency planning, resilient infrastructure, continuity-of-operations strategies, accessible communication, and other resources protects lives, preserves academic and research missions, and limits financial impacts. As these threats become more frequent and often overlap, campuses need additional support to make preparedness a core institutional responsibility.

The Emergency Preparedness in Higher Education strengthens higher education resilience by establishing a $100 million annual FEMA grant program to help eligible higher education institutions create or expand emergency management and preparedness capacity. 

Eligible uses of grant funds include personnel costs to expand emergency preparedness; creating or updating comprehensive institutional emergency management plans; infrastructure and facility construction or improvements for emergency operations centers or areas of refuge; and equipment and technology to enhance interagency coordination.

Read the full bill text here.

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NATCHEZ, MS – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), Committee Member, released the below statement on their surprise oversight visit yesterday to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility at Adams County Correctional Center (ACCC) in Mississippi, the nation’s largest migrant detention facility. 

“One of Congress’ primary responsibilities is oversight of federal agencies, and we exercised that power – and legal right – in an unannounced visit to ACCC after a summer of crises, protests, and power outages. We wanted an unvarnished look at the institution to make sure that facility problems highlighted in correspondence our offices and in public inspection reports are being addressed, and that everyone in the facility has access to their constitutional due process rights. Regardless of a person’s station in life, they are still human and deserve safe shelter with adequate, sanitary food and water, and access to health care. 

“We continue to have concerns that detainees aren’t able to obtain access to adequate mental health services, a full understanding of what crimes they are charged with, and transparency and accountability for when ACCC staff fail in upholding their constitutional rights. As the Trump administration continues to weaponize ICE against communities across the country, we will continue rigorous oversight of immigrant detention facilities so that the law is followed and immigrants have access to their full constitutional rights.”

Background

Adams County Correctional Center (ACCC), operated by the private prison company CoreCivic, is the largest permanent immigration detention facility in the U.S. and detains an average of 1,878 men daily. 

In the past six months, ACCC and the men detained there have experienced multiple crises. In May 2026, ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight inspected ACCC and downgraded the facility from a “Superior” rating to “Acceptable/Adequate,” with only 24 of 28 standards met. In July, nearly 70 detainees submitted a petition to the warden demanding an end to the practice of placing three detainees in cells meant to hold two people. During the week of August 10, 2026, a lengthy power outage at ACCC left detainees without air conditioning for two days in nearly 100-degree heat. On August 22, 2026, around 100 male detainees started a protest over poor living conditions, spoiled food, and meager rations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released the following statement regarding the pre-dawn raid of the residence of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) by federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): 

“I stand with Ilhan. The raid of Congresswoman Omar’s home is an unprecedented escalation in Trump’s weaponization of the federal government against his political opponents or anyone who disagrees with this administration. Despite Congresswoman Omar standing for reelection in a few weeks, federal agents swarmed her home in violation of longstanding Department of Justice norms of avoiding the appearance of political bias in the 60 days before elections. But the President does not care about appearances when it comes to vilifying and launching racist attacks against Congresswoman Omar and the entire Somali American community in Minnesota. Americans deserve a full account of this abuse of power by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, and I will use my position on the House Committee on Homeland Security to fight for transparency and accountability for all involved.”

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