A federal court has paused USDA's planned reorganization in the US Forest Service reorganization lawsuit, stopping the agency from moving ahead for at least two months. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a stay while litigation continues.
The order runs through December 11, 2026, the expiration date of the continuing resolution H.R. 6500. That means the reorganization remains blocked during the current funding stopgap, unless later congressional action or the litigation changes the timetable.
USDA plans from July 2025
USDA announced the reorganization plans in July 2025 and added details in April 2026. The plan would decommission some facilities, open new ones, and shift hundreds of Washington D.C.-based positions to locations across the U.S.
The motion before the court said USDA unlawfully reprogrammed congressional appropriations to shut down offices and relocate employees. That challenge matters because the stay is tied to how USDA used money approved by Congress, not just to the agency's management choices.
FSIS and Beltsville changes
One of the clearest changes involves USDA-FSIS support headquarters, which are set to move from the Washington D.C. area to a new National Food Safety Center in Urbandale, Iowa. The move would force the relocation or resignation of some 200 USDA-FSIS staffers.
The plan also includes decommissioning the USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland. USDA would relocate research programs and researchers to facilities across the country, including a new Science Center in Athens, Georgia.
REE offices in question
Other offices to be relocated include NIFA, ERS, and NASS. Senators also questioned USDA's plans for REE offices and employees under the reorganization, adding to the pressure surrounding the plan.
For employees in Washington D.C., Beltsville, Maryland, Urbandale, Iowa, and Athens, Georgia, the immediate effect is that USDA cannot carry out the planned moves while the stay holds. Whether USDA will ultimately be allowed to carry out the reorganization after the litigation or the funding deadline remains unresolved.
