Florida judge blocks USDA debt relief payments to farmers of color

Debt relief payments to farmers of color from the US Department of Agriculture were blocked nationwide Wednesday by a federal judge in Florida, the second halt on the payments as push back mounts against the assistance that some White farmers say is racially discriminatory.

Florida District Judge Marcia Morales Howard issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by a White farmer alleging the debt relief program authorized under the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill that passed in Congress in response to the pandemic discriminates against him because of his race. It allocates $4 billion toward debt relief and direct payments of up to 120% of a "socially disadvantaged" farmer or rancher's outstanding debt as of January 1, 2021. A socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher is anyone in a group, who has been "subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities," according to a House code. The USDA also said it would determine "on a case-by-case basis whether additional groups qualify under this definition in response to a written request with supporting explanation."