By Professor Susan A. Schneider
This website is for educational purposes only. It does not provide legal advice. It is designed as a companion website to the book Food Farming & Sustainability, but it is also a publicly available freestanding resource. While efforts will be made to keep resources current, I cannot promise that I will keep ahead of all of the changes. Links to helpful resources will be provided.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
CHECK BACK ON FEBRUARY 15

Trump Administration Initiatives
Highlighting Actions that Impact the Food System
Due to rapid changes by the Trump administration as well as litigation, readers
should check the news and the links provided to verify. There are dozens of
pending actions, each proceeding individually. This page provides only the
major highlights.
Here are some helpful links tracking lawsuits filed:
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Just Security: Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
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Here Are All The Major Lawsuits Against Trump And Musk—As 19 States Sue
Over DOGE’s Treasury Access, Forbes (Feb. 7, 2025)
For tracking administrative actions, here are some additional sources:
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U.S. Government Information: Trump Trackers, UC San Diego Library
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NY Times Tracking: All of the Trump Administration Major Moves in the First 18 Days
Agency Leadership
Nomination of Brooke Rollins to be Secretary of Agriculture, USDA
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Nomination (Jan. 20, 2025)
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Confirmation hearing
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Written testimony
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Senate Committee Approval
Key USDA Appointments announced
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USDA Announcement of key appointments, Press Release (Jan. 21, 2025)
Nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
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Nomination (Jan. 20, 2025)
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Confirmation hearing (Jan. 29-30, 2025)
FDA Appointments/Nominations
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Acting Commissioner of the FDA: Dr. Sara Brenner
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Nomination for FDA Commissioner: Dr. Marty Makary
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Nomination for head of CDC: Dr. Dave Weldon
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Nomination for Surgeon General: Dr. Janette Nesheiwat
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NPR Review of nominees: Trump Announces Three Medical Doctors As His Picks for FDA, CDC, and Surgeon General (Nov. 24, 2024)
Executive and Administrative Orders with a Direct Impact on USDA / FDA
USDA Dept of Communications Directs Removal of Climate Change from Gov't websites:
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USDA ordered to scrub climate change from websites, Politico (Jan. 31, 2025)
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility - All DEIA efforts at federal agencies were ordered to be terminated by multiple Executive Orders:
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Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (Jan. 21, 2025) (revoking many prior executive orders encouraging diversity and prohibiting discrimination)
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Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service (Jan. 20, 2025)
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Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (Jan. 20, 2025)
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Agencies received directives from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) requiring them to close DEI operations and terminate employees; See, OPM Guidance on Implementation
Actions Involving Career Government Employees
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Career federal employees under civil service protections have received a variety of orders and restrictions by direct email, and the executive order attempting to impose new provisions for their service and dismissal is: Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce (Jan. 20, 2025); See also, Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives (Jan. 20, 2025)
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Hiring Freeze (Jan. 20, 2025)
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Return to In-Person Work (Jan. 20, 2025)
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Email purportedly offering buyout to employees who resign (Jan. 28, 2025): What federal workers should know about Trump administration’s ‘deferred resignation’ offer, Wash. Post (Jan. 28, 2025)
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Injunction preventing the deadline for the buyout offer (Feb. 7, 2025), as reported by Reuters
Memorandum Ordering "Immediate Pause" on HHS Communications
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Memo From HHS Acting Secretary Dorothy Fink (Jan. 21, 2025)
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News story on memo, Federal Health Agencies Told to Halt All External Communications, NPR (Jan. 22, 2025)
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News regarding H5N1 transmission involving cats and humans posted and then removed from CDC website, CDC Posts, Then Deletes, Data on Bird Flu Spread Between Cats and People, NY Times (Feb. 7, 2025)
Firing of the independent Inspectors General, including USDA IG Phyllis Fong and HHS IG Christi Grimm (by email Jan. 25, 2025)
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Letter objecting to the firings from the Council on Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (IGIE) including reference to the law requiring 30-days Congressional notice and specific reasons for each firing (Jan. 24, 2025; letter from Hannibal "Mike" Ware, CIGIE Chairperson) Note that the law referenced was amended in 2022
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USDA IG Phylls Fong reported to work but was escorted out of the building by USDA guards (Jan. 29, 2025)
Memorandum Ordering Federal Agencies to Freeze "all federal financial assistance"
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Memo From Office of Management & Budget to Federal Agencies (Jan. 27, 2025)
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Initial News story on memo, Trump Administration Orders Sweeping Freeze of All Federal Aid, Politico (Jan. 27, 2025)
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"Clairfying" memo from OMB
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Order granting temporary injunction, stopping the freeze (Jan. 28, 2023)
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Recission of OMB Memo (Jan. 29, 2025)
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White House statement that freeze is still in effect regardless of recission (White House response adds to confusion on federal funding freeze, NPR (Jan. 29, 2025)
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Litigation brought by Attorneys General pending, Link to Complaint; Judge issued an injunction, Second judge temporarily blocks federal funding freeze efforts by Trump administration, PBS (Jan. 31. 2025)
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Court chastises the administration for not complying with its order: Copy of court order; See, e.g., news coverage White House Failed to Comply With Court Order, Judge Rules, NY Times (Feb 10, 2025; updated Feb.12, 2025).
Immigration Policies Including Deportation
The Trump administration's aggressive actions to deport undocumented immigrants and refugees may have profound impacts on the food system. It is estimated that almost half of farmworkers are undocumented and, a significant percentage of food workers, from processing plants to restaurants are as well. It has been difficult to track who is being arrested and deported, but the following site provides tracking of policies and practices:
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Tracking Notable Executive Branch Action during the Second Trump Administration, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
White House "Fact Sheet" Announcing the Imposition of Tariffs on Good Imported from Canada, Mexico, and China
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Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Imposes Tariffs on Imports from Canada, Mexico and China (Feb. 1, 2025)
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Tariff delayed 30 days: Trump pauses tariffs on Mexico and Canada, but not China, Reuters (Feb. 3, 2025)
Efforts to Close USAID / Terminating Employees and Orders to Cease Work
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In addition to the important international relations and human rights work done by USAID, American agriculture is also involved. Commodities are purchased from U.S. farmers and delivered as food assistance to needy countries. This provides an important market for U.S. agriculture. The following news publications highlight this connection:
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Trump's USAID Plans Threaten Billions of Dollars For US Farms and Businesses, Wash Post (Feb.6, 2025)
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Shuttering of USAID could mean the end of millions in income for Midwest farm operations, Minnesota Star Tribune (Feb. 6, 2025)
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Musk and Trump combine to shaft US farmers, North Denver Tribune (Feb. 6, 2025).
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A temporary injunction was issued with regard to the employees: Judge blocks Trump from placing thousands of USAID workers on leave and giving them 30-day deadline, AP News (Feb. 7, 2025)
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Oversight of USAID-Funded Humanitarian Assistance Programming Impacted by Staffing Reductions and Pause on Foreign Assistance, Report of the Inspector General (Advisory Notice) (Feb. 10, 2025); IG Martin was fired the following day: See, e.g., Trump fires USAID Inspector General One Day After Blistering Report, Wash Post (Feb. 11, 2025)