U.S. Judge halts Department of Agriculture reorganization

U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria has ordered the Department of Agriculture to pause its reorganization plans, which include the U.S. Forest Service, following a lawsuit from employee unions and nonprofits.

In his ruling, Chhabria stated it is ‘overwhelmingly likely’ that the planned closures and relocations violate federal law. The judge noted that Congress had explicitly barred funds from being used for reorganization in a 2026 federal funding bill, rejecting the administration's proposed budget reductions. The court found the USDA had ‘almost certainly’ used congressionally-delegated funds for purposes other than those for which they were dedicated.

The lawsuit was brought by a coalition including the American Federation of Government Employees and the Western Watershed Project. Opponents argue the reorganization aims to diminish agency capacity rather than improve efficiency.