A federal judge has paused the U.S. Department of Agriculture's planned reorganization, including a hub planned for Indianapolis, finding the department was likely violating congressional restrictions on spending for the changes, Reuters reported on October 14, 2026, and Indiana Public Media reported on October 19.

U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, of the Northern District of California, issued the order on October 13 in a lawsuit brought by federal employee unions and other groups. The order prevents USDA from closing or eliminating certain offices and from relocating employees or their positions outside their local commuting areas while the case proceeds, Indiana Public Media reported. It does not require employees who had already relocated to move back.

Under the reorganization announced in 2025, USDA planned to move about 2,600 employees from the Washington region and consolidate offices at hubs around the country, Reuters reported. In Indianapolis, the Food and Nutrition Service planned to establish one of five hubs handling implementation and oversight of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, with state support and evaluation employees also working there, and hubs had been expected to open by summer 2027, according to Indiana Public Media.

Chhabria wrote that Congress did not contemplate USDA using its appropriated funds to shut down offices or relocate employees, and found the agency had 'almost certainly' been reprogramming money for the reorganization despite the restrictions, Reuters and Indiana Public Media reported. The order covers several USDA components, including the Forest Service, the Agricultural Research Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service, Rural Development and the Farm Production and Conservation mission area. The restrictions are scheduled to expire on December 11 unless Congress extends them.

A USDA spokesperson told Reuters the department was reviewing the judge's decision and would file its response with the court. Union leaders welcomed the order; the ruling does not decide whether the reorganization is good policy, and the underlying lawsuit remains unresolved. Sources: Reuters, October 14, 2026; Indiana Public Media (IPM), October 19, 2026.