Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Homeland Security on Aug. 11, establishing a whole-of-government framework to protect America’s food and agricultural supply from biological threats at the southern border.
The agreement formalizes coordination between USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and DHS border operations, including Customs and Border Protection. Secretary Rollins signed the MOU at Moore Air Base in Texas, near the border region where the threats are most acute.
The agreement elevates agricultural biosecurity to a formal national security concern alongside traditional border enforcement missions. USDA and DHS will share intelligence, coordinate inspection protocols and jointly plan responses to potential outbreaks of crop or livestock diseases.
The MOU is directly tied to the ongoing federal response to the New World Screwworm threat, which has prompted emergency FDA drug authorizations and a $25 million USDA commitment to build a sterile fly dispersal facility in Arizona. The coordinated approach reflects lessons learned from the NWS response about the need for formal interagency structures.
Crop and livestock diseases entering through the southern border could cause billions of dollars in losses to American agriculture. The cattle industry alone contributes more than $80 billion annually to the U.S. economy, and a major disease introduction could trigger immediate trade restrictions from importing countries.
The MOU also signals that agricultural inspections at ports of entry will receive heightened attention and resources. CBP officers at southern border crossings already inspect vehicles and shipments for agricultural products, but the formal agreement is expected to expand those capabilities.