Tokuda urges USDA to reinstate terminated agricultural inspectors

US Rep. Jill Tokuda led 32 lawmakers in urging the US Department of Agriculture to re-hire terminated agricultural inspectors with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, warning of potential threats to agriculture and the economy.

Since February, following recommendations provided by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the USDA has reported dismissing at least 5,692 probationary employees. This included about 200 plant protection and quarantine workers.

While stays were issued earlier this month ordering the USDA to return the fired workers to their jobs for 45 days while an investigation continues, the court orders have not immediately gone into effect.

A letter on Friday shows Hawaiʻi legislators US Reps. Ed Case and Tokuda raising concerns about the risks of pests and invasive species impacting the nation’s agriculture and economy. The letters states the following regarding the request to return USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to full capacity:

“APHIS agricultural inspectors serve a critical role in protecting and preserving fragile environmental resources and ecosystems that we depend on to grow the food, fuel and fiber this country runs on. In Hawaiʻi, we are an island state where we greatly depend on these inspectors to ensure a secure exchange of goods and to be the first and best line of defense against invasive species and other threats,” she said. “A lapse in the reinstatement of these important federal workers could cause significant and irreparable damage to our agriculture, environment and economy.”

The letter also requests details on the terminations, reinstatement process and plans to maintain a strong agricultural inspection workforce.

The full letter to the USDA can be found here.