Key facts
- Five nonprofit organizations are suing the U.S. Agriculture Department over grant conditions.
- The lawsuit challenges terms imposed by the Trump administration that allegedly restrict speech on diversity and immigration.
- Plaintiffs include Agroecology Commons, Oregon Farm Corps, Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance, Third Sector New England, and the Washington Farmland Trust.
- The conditions mandate grantees adhere to the Trump administration's positions on social policy issues.
- The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Seattle.
Five nonprofit organizations have filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Seattle against the U.S. Agriculture Department, challenging grant conditions they claim restrict speech related to diversity initiatives and immigration rights.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, seeks to vacate the conditions put forward by the Trump administration for these grants. The plaintiffs, which include Agroecology Commons, Oregon Farm Corps, Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance, Third Sector New England, and the Washington Farmland Trust, object to a memo signed by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on December 31.
Rollins stated that the Trump administration was taking action to eliminate "radical left ideology." The lawsuit asserts that the new terms impose vague and unprecedented requirements on grantees by mandating they follow the Trump Administration's positions on social policy issues, including race, diversity, gender identity, and immigration.
The Agriculture Department distributed over $145 billion through 287 programs in fiscal year 2025, according to its website. The Trump administration has previously attempted to restrict grants and federal funds for nonprofit groups and educational institutions on various issues, including diversity programs, pro-Palestinian protests, transgender policies, and climate programs. Trump has specifically targeted diversity programs, arguing they are anti-merit and discriminate against white people and men, while civil rights groups contend such programs address systemic inequities for marginalized communities. The administration has also pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown that has drawn condemnation from rights groups.