According to the Red Cross Web Page, it was the STATE Homeland that didn't allow them to go into NO, not the Federal - The MSM has it wrong and Fox has it correct:
Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?
1. Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.
2. The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.
http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html#4524