The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will no longer offer increased benefits to minority groups through its programs, the agency announced on Thursday.
A new USDA rule released on Thursday eliminates race and sex-based criteria for its farm programs, after a recent lawsuit alleged that the agency continues to employ discriminatory policies. The agency issued a list of over a dozen agency programs that were found to be “inconsistent with constitutional principles and the administration’s policy objectives.”
“The USDA has faced a long history of litigation stemming from allegations of discrimination in the administration of its farm loan and benefit programs,” the rule reads. “Moving forward, USDA will no longer apply race- or sex-based criteria in its decision-making processes, ensuring that its programs are administered in a manner that upholds the principles of meritocracy, fairness, and equal opportunity for all participants.”
In June, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) sued USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on behalf of Adam Faust, a white dairy farmer, alleging that the agency has preserved programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Loan Guarantee Program, that violate the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause by giving preference to racial minorities or women.
Under the Loan Guarantee Program, Faust is eligible for a 90% loan guarantee, while minority and female farmers may receive a 95% loan guarantee, according to the lawsuit. The EQIP offers minority farmers reimbursement for 90% of their costs, whereas Fuast is eligible for reimbursement of only 75%.
“We warned USDA and the Trump Administration: the Biden-era discriminatory programs must go. We’ve been patient, but equality cannot wait,” said WILL Deputy Legal Counsel Dan Lennington in a public statement at the time. “While President Trump has been perfectly clear that racial discrimination has no place in his Administration, USDA remains a notable hold out.”
Moreover, the Pandemic Assistance Programs, established during the Biden administration, created carveouts for farmers and ranchers who have “been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group.”
WILL and Fuast also sued the USDA in 2021 for the $4 billion Farmer Loan Forgiveness Plan, a program that a federal court determined unconstitutionally discriminated based on race.
The move is part of a broader rollback of federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies under the Trump administration. On Jan 21, the president signed an executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” directing all executive departments to terminate all discriminatory and illegal policies.
“Over the past several decades, USDA has undertaken substantial efforts to redress past injustices, culminating in comprehensive settlements, institutional reforms, and compensatory frameworks,” the USDA rule states. “These actions collectively support the conclusion that past discrimination has been sufficiently addressed and that further race- and sex-based remedies are no longer necessary or legally justified under current circumstances.”
The Department of Transportation also announced on Wednesday that it will no longer enforce Biden-era DEI or climate change policies for grantees.
The USDA did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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