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Judge stops USDA payments, loan forgiveness for farmers of color
A court has ordered USDA and the Biden administration not to move forward with preferential payments to black farmers and other farmers of color.
Judge William Griesbach in Wisconsin’s Eastern District U.S. District Court issued a temporary restraining order Thursday against Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack preventing USDA from forgiving any farm loans or paying 20% of those loans back to the farmers until the court rules on a request for an injunction.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is representing a dozen farmers in nine states including Minnesota, South Dakota, Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, Oregon, and Kentucky saying the Biden administration’s plan discriminates against white farmers.
The loan forgiveness and refunds are part of Section 1005 of Biden’s American Rescue Act legislation. USDA had announced payments to farmers of color would begin this month.
