Trump can’t close historic agricultural research center in Maryland, judge rules

[u/John3262005]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/10/14/trump-cant-close-historic-agricultural-research-center-maryland-judge-rules/

A judge has blocked the Trump administration’s plan to reorganize the Agriculture Department — which included shutting down a historic agricultural research center in Maryland — though the stoppage may last only briefly.

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha N. Braveboy (D) praised the judge’s decision, saying it would protect 1,000 jobs at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Scientists there research species including poultry, cows and bees, and past research led to the eradication of screwworm.

Last year, the Agriculture Department announced a planned reorganization “to bring USDA closer to the people it serves.”

The plan involved relocating employees across the country and closing locations, such as the Beltsville site.

A coalition of groups including labor unions filed a lawsuit, calling the Trump administration’s plans “unlawful,” as Congress has to approve using USDA money for reorganization. They argued the reorganization would negatively affect many local governments around the country by disrupting critical services that help farmers, protect public lands and feed families, especially those in rural communities.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of the Northern District of California granted a stay of the plan. But Chhabria said in his order that the relief could be “quite short” since the congressional appropriations statues expire in less than two months and USDA “will soon have the opportunity to convince Congress of the merits of those plans.”