The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has terminated the contracts of approximately 70 foreign researchers following a national security review aimed at safeguarding the country’s food supply from potential threats posed by foreign adversaries—specifically China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
In a statement, a USDA spokesperson confirmed the dismissals, saying:
“USDA has completed a thorough review of individuals authorized to work on contracts with the department and identified approximately 70 individuals from countries of concern. These individuals will no longer be allowed to work on USDA projects.”
The dismissals are part of a broader agricultural security policy unveiled on July 8 by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. The initiative includes new restrictions to prevent nationals from the identified countries from purchasing U.S. farmland and mandates the cancellation of existing research collaborations with them.
“These actions are necessary to secure the U.S. food supply,” Secretary Rollins said, defending the measures as critical to maintaining the integrity of the nation’s agricultural systems.
Many of the researchers affected had been working with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the USDA’s internal science agency. The ARS focuses on vital agricultural issues such as food safety, climate resilience, and pest control. According to Thomas Henderson, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1657, most of those dismissed were Chinese post-doctoral scientists on two-year research contracts.
“Many of these researchers had already undergone vetting,” Henderson said. “Some showed up to work on July 9 only to discover their badges no longer worked.”
Henderson warned that the move could seriously hamper scientific progress within the agency. Due to a federal hiring freeze extended through October 15, the USDA is unable to immediately replace the terminated researchers, he added.
“This will force the agency to suspend critical research projects, including one aimed at developing a vaccine against a dangerous toxin found in undercooked beef,” Henderson said. “We’ve lost years, potentially decades, of progress.”
The USDA declined to comment on the potential impacts to its research capacity.
The ARS has already suffered major staffing cuts in recent years. Since 2024, over 1,200 employees—around 17% of its workforce—have exited the agency, due in part to terminations and early retirement incentives introduced during the Trump administration.
In a memo dated July 8, Rollins directed that USDA personnel must now obtain agency approval before publishing research with nationals from the listed “countries of concern.” USDA staff are also prohibited from attending events organized by entities linked to those countries.
Ethan Roberts, president of AFGE Local 3247 and an ARS scientist, said all pending research publications are being re-evaluated, and any co-authored with researchers from the designated countries will be blocked from publication.
“Research involving these countries was already under heightened scrutiny,” Roberts said. “Now the agency appears to be moving toward outright bans.”
