A coalition of 21 attorneys general, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, filed an amicus brief in U.S. District Court in San Francisco opposing a USDA reorganization plan that would require large numbers of employees to relocate or resign.
The brief, filed in support of a preliminary injunction motion, argues the restructuring would harm states that partner with the agency on essential programs. California and other states depend on the USDA Forest Service for wildfire prevention and response, the brief states.
California alone has battled more than 13,000 wildfires since 2025 that burned over 800,000 acres, including the Palisades and Eaton Fires in the Los Angeles area, the brief noted. As Forest Service personnel leave due to the relocation requirement, "the agency will have reduced capacity and lose specialized expertise, exposing California lands and communities to unnecessary harm," it argues.
The states also rely on USDA Food and Nutrition Administration staff for program administration and guidance on nutrition-assistance programs including SNAP and WIC. The reorganization "nearly ensures that experienced FNA staff will leave the agency, depriving all states of benefits assistance," the brief states.
The USDA also plans to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland, which houses the Agricultural Research Service. Scientists at the facility are studying cyclospora, a foodborne parasite linked to the worst cyclospora outbreak on record in the United States. According to the brief, every scientist on at least one cyclospora project at the facility has declined to relocate and will instead resign, leaving crucial research uncertain.
The coalition includes attorneys general from Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.