USDA’s debt relief program has suffered another blow this time from a federal judge in Tennessee.
Farmers across the country are suing the department saying that the loan forgiveness program is not available for white farmers.
The Tennessee ruling is significant because it halts all payments until the case is fully resolved. That means USDA will have to present new information in court, showing it has a legal basis for the program.
The judge took into account a recent ruling, also in Tennessee, that stopped efforts to grant pandemic relief to minority restaurant owners.
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