Overview
- The Northern District of California issued the pause on Tuesday, stopping the USDA from closing regional offices and moving employees outside their local commuting areas while a union lawsuit proceeds.
- Judge Vince Chhabria said the agency is almost certainly using funds in ways Congress did not intend and described the actions as prohibited "reprogramming," so he also stayed the related reorganization spending.
- The order covers major elements of the plan, including the Forest Service headquarters move to Salt Lake City and proposed closures of Food and Nutrition Service regional offices that could affect hundreds of workers.
- Unions representing employees from eight USDA components brought the suit to prevent forced relocations, arguing the moves would drive out experienced staff and risk services such as SNAP, WIC and wildfire prevention.
- The ruling opens a short window for lawmakers because the funding restrictions at issue expire Dec. 11, and the case follows past USDA relocations that led to large staff losses during President Donald Trump's earlier reorganization efforts.