AFGE v. USDA

Public Rights Project, alongside five local governments and Democracy Forward, filed a lawsuit challenging the USDA’s plan to restructure and reduce the agency’s workforce. The plan would close entire offices and relocate a substantial number of employees. The plan is unlawful and will cause irreparable harm because once the agency is dismantled, it will likely be impossible to put it back together by the time the case is resolved.

We’ve asked the court to stop the plan from taking effect and halt the USDA’s forced relocations, which have left employees with an impossible choice. They must either move across the country or lose their jobs. Most USDA workers can’t simply pick up and leave — family, school, and community ties hold them where they are. 

Public Rights Project is representing Baltimore, Md., King County, Wash., and Prince George’s County, Md., in this case.

If the plan moves forward, the consequences will extend well beyond agency employees. Changes to the USDA workforce would jeopardize federal programs that provide food and nutrition assistance, protect national forests, and conduct essential scientific research — undermining local governments’ ability to serve and protect their communities.

The plan stems from a 2025 executive order calling on federal agencies to massively reduce and reorganize their departments. Public Rights Project and a national coalition are already challenging that order in a related case, AFGE v. Trump.

The USDA asked Congress to approve its plan to restructure, and Congress refused — expressly barring the agency from reorganizing without congressional approval. Yet, the agency is moving forward with the plan anyway. 

Why this matters

Our lawsuit details how the plan has both already caused, and will cause, harm to local governments in several key areas:

• Food and nutrition assistance: The Food and Nutrition Administration, which sits under the USDA, is already understaffed. Any further job losses would weaken its ability to provide food benefit programs, leaving local governments to expend resources to cover disruptions.

• Forest service: The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. Losing regional office staff means losing highly technical and specialized positions, including regional fire management teams. As wildfires grow, they require larger, more coordinated teams to respond. With fewer staff, local governments will face these crises without enough expertise and resources. 
• Rural development: USDA’s rural development programs provide financing for infrastructure improvements to rural communities, including water and waste treatment, electric power, telecommunications, and broadband services. Fewer staff means delays in processing grants and loans for local governments, hurting residents across the country. 

Read the lawsuit.