USDA Fires 70 Foreign Researchers Over National Security

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has terminated the contracts of approximately 70 foreign contract researchers, most of whom are Chinese postdoctoral researchers, following a national security review aimed at protecting the U.S. food supply from adversaries including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. This action is part of a broader farm security initiative announced by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, which also seeks to prevent nationals from these countries from purchasing U.S. farmland. Many of the dismissed researchers had already undergone vetting before being hired and worked for the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which focuses on critical areas such as food safety, pests, and climate change. Some researchers only learned of their termination when their access badges failed upon reporting to work, and the USDA is currently unable to replace them due to a federal hiring freeze extended through October 15. USDA employees and union representatives warn that the firings will severely impact ongoing research efforts, including projects aimed at developing vaccines for deadly toxins in beef, potentially setting back scientific progress by years. While the USDA defends the measures as necessary to secure national food security, concerns remain about the loss of research capacity in vital agricultural areas.