Nonprofit groups sue US Agriculture Department over rules on grants

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, July ‌30 (Reuters) - Five nonprofit ​organizations ​sued the U.S. Agriculture Department on Thursday over grant conditions they say restrict speech in support of diversity initiatives ‌and immigration rights.

Here are details:

• The lawsuit filed in a ⁠federal court in Seattle seeks to vacate the conditions put forward by the Trump ‌administration for those grants, according ‌to the filing.

• The plaintiffs in Thursday's lawsuit included Agroecology Commons, Oregon Farm Corps, Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance, Third Sector New England, ​and the Washington Farmland Trust.

• The lawsuit objected to a memo signed by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on December 31 on ⁠terms for issuing grants.

• Rollins said the Trump administration was taking action to eliminate "radical left ideology."

• "The ​new terms and conditions include several provisions that impose vague and unprecedented substantive requirements on USDA grantees by mandating ​that grantees follow the Trump Administration's ‌position on issues of social policy, including on issues of race and diversity, gender identity, and immigration," the lawsuit ⁠said.

• The Agriculture Department did not respond to a request for comment. Its website says it distributed over $145 billion through 287 programs in FY 2025.

• ⁠Trump has attempted to restrict grants and federal funds for nonprofit groups and educational ​institutions over many issues.

• These include diversity programs, pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel's assault on Gaza, transgender policies and climate programs.

• Trump has particularly cracked ‌down on diversity programs, arguing they are anti-merit and discriminate against white people and men.

• Civil rights groups ‌say such programs help marginalized groups like women, the LGBT community and ⁠ethnic minorities by addressing systemic ‌and generational inequities.

• Trump ​has also pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown widely condemned by rights groups.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by ‌Sanjeev Miglani)

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