The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Friday that it has terminated the contracts of approximately 70 foreign researchers from countries deemed adversarial to American national security, including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
The move follows a sweeping security review and is part of a broader Trump administration effort to secure U.S. food systems and agricultural research against potential espionage or foreign influence.
“These contract workers from countries of concern will no longer be permitted to participate in USDA projects,” a USDA spokesperson confirmed.
The affected individuals were primarily Chinese postdoctoral researchers working with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which focuses on critical areas such as food safety, climate resilience, and pest control. Some reportedly discovered they had been let go only after arriving at work to find their building access revoked.
Trump-Era Farmland Policy Takes Hold
Earlier this month, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled a new initiative aimed at protecting U.S. farmland and food infrastructure from foreign influence. The plan calls for the cancellation of all USDA research contracts with citizens from China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea and prohibits nationals from those countries from purchasing U.S. farmland.
“Farm security is national security,” Rollins said at the time.
Ripple Effects on Research
The sudden firings are already impacting ongoing USDA projects. According to Thomas Henderson, a union representative for some of the affected researchers, the loss of talent will stall vital work — including a promising project to develop a vaccine for a lethal toxin found in undercooked beef.
“We don’t have the talent now to progress on these research projects,” Henderson told Reuters. “It’s setting us back by years, if not decades.”
Publications Under Review
In addition to cutting contracts, all ARS publications are now being reassessed. Co-authored studies involving researchers from the four flagged nations will reportedly be denied, according to Ethan Roberts, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3247.
Hiring Freeze Deepens Staffing Crisis
Due to a federal hiring freeze in place until October 15, the USDA will be unable to immediately replace the dismissed foreign scientists. The agency has already lost around 1,200 employees this year due to budget cuts and downsizing efforts.
Critics warn that the short-term losses in research capacity could have long-term consequences for American agriculture. Still, USDA officials maintain that the risk posed by foreign influence outweighs the disruption.
The decision comes amid growing concern within the Trump administration about the use of U.S. agricultural systems as strategic assets vulnerable to foreign exploitation.
