WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ordered FEMA to halt the deployment of hundreds of aid workers to disaster zones nationwide, as a partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown enters its fifth day.

Why it matters: The freeze creates a logistical bottleneck just as the federal government attempts to lead the response to a record-breaking sewage spill in the Potomac River.

Driving the news: An internal memo from FEMA Chief of Staff Kurt Weirich, reviewed by Reuters, confirmed a “stop-travel order” for all DHS-funded travel effective Feb. 18.

• The impact: More than 300 disaster responders—some already at training facilities—were told to stand down.
• The legal line: A FEMA spokesperson told CNN the restrictions are “not a choice” but legally required due to the lapse in federal appropriations.
• The exception: Travel for personnel already at active disaster sites has not been canceled.

The backdrop: The shutdown began Saturday after a bipartisan collapse in talks over immigration enforcement reforms.

• One big caveat: While DHS is partially shut down, critical migrant deportation operations continue via a separate $135 billion funding stream enacted last July.
• The stakes: FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service remain caught in the funding disruption.

Between the lines: President Trump has simultaneously tasked FEMA with coordinating the response to a January 19 sewer line collapse in Maryland that dumped 240 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac.

• The friction: Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) has criticized the administration’s slow response, while Trump blamed “incompetent” local leadership for the spill.
• Reality check: Despite the President’s directive, FEMA officials report the agency has deployed “few, if any” resources to the Potomac site so far due to staffing cuts and the new travel ban.

The bottom line: FEMA currently has $7 billion in its disaster relief fund—enough to last roughly two months—but the agency is legally hamstrung from moving the people needed to spend it.