USDA Axes Foreign Workers from China and Russia in National Security Crackdown

In a bold move to safeguard national security, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has terminated the contracts of approximately 70 foreign workers hailing from nations deemed as "countries of concern," including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. This decision, announced on Friday, stems from a comprehensive review aimed at protecting the integrity of U.S. food safety and agricultural research.

These workers, many of whom were post-doctoral researchers with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), were abruptly let go, with some discovering their access badges deactivated upon arrival at work. The ARS plays a critical role in advancing research on vital issues like pest control, food safety, and climate change—areas crucial to American farmers. Yet, the USDA’s stance is clear: national security trumps all, even at the cost of stalling critical projects.

Adding fuel to the fire, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins recently unveiled a broader strategy to shield U.S. farmland from foreign influence. This includes not only canceling contracts with nationals from these adversarial countries but also barring them from purchasing American farmland. Moreover, any ARS publications co-authored with researchers from these nations will face rejection, signaling a hardline approach to intellectual collaboration.

However, this purge comes at a steep price. With a federal hiring freeze in place until mid-October and the agency already down 1,200 staff due to recent downsizing, some research initiatives—like developing a vaccine for a deadly toxin in undercooked beef—are grinding to a halt. Union representatives warn that this could set American agricultural innovation back by years, if not decades. It’s a classic case of cutting off the nose to spite the face—security tightened, but at what cost to progress?