WHAT HAPPENED: The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for the Trump administration to remove legal protections from thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants in the United States, meaning they could be subject to deportation. The decision, in Mullin v. Doe (Nos. 25-1083 and 25-1084), was decided June 25. The question before the Court was whether challengers to the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from Syria and Haiti were entitled to orders postponing the terminations during litigation. The Court ruled they were not. The Court also rejected a claim that the decision to remove protections for Haitians was discriminatory. Last year, the Supreme Court in two separate decisions allowed the Trump administration to revoke the same kind of legal status from 600,000 Venezuelans in the U.S.
WHY IT MATTERS: TPS provides work authorization to nationals from designated countries experiencing conflict or humanitarian crises, and TPS holders are employed across a range of U.S. industries, including food and agriculture. The ruling follows the administration’s broader effort to wind down TPS across multiple nationalities — DHS has moved to terminate protections for nationals of Nepal, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Haiti, and other countries, affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.
WHAT’S NEXT: Attorneys representing TPS holders are analyzing the Court’s findings to decide on next steps. NCC will continue to monitor developments as the administration implements the ruling and as litigation on related TPS designations continues in the lower courts.
Source: The Supreme Court
WHAT HAPPENED: A coalition of 17 states filed suit against California this week seeking to block enforcement of the state’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, passed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022. The lawsuit argues the law violates both the U.S. and California constitutions, and asks the court to declare it invalid and unenforceable.
WHO IS INVOLVED: Nebraska leads the coalition, joined by Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors also joined the suit.
WHY IT MATTERS: The law sets the nation’s strictest requirements for plastic packaging, requiring producers to reduce single-use plastics by 10% by 2027 and 25% by 2032, and mandating that plastic packaging be recycled at a rate of 65% by 2032. The plaintiffs argue that California’s rules would effectively force businesses nationwide — including food and agriculture companies — to overhaul their products and packaging operations to comply with a single state’s regulatory regime. Chicken processors and their suppliers rely on plastic packaging throughout the supply chain, from retail tray packs to food service formats, and a ruling upholding California’s law could have significant compliance implications across the industry.
WHAT’S NEXT: The lawsuit names as defendants the director of California’s recycling agency CalRecycle and the Circular Action Alliance, the nonprofit tasked with implementing the law. A separate legal challenge has also been filed by environmental groups who argue the final regulations were too weak. NCC will monitor the litigation and its potential implications for poultry packaging requirements.
While we are 100% behind the U.S. Men’s National Team, we kind of like France’s team uniform.
WHAT HAPPENED: USDA’s Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) mission area this week announced a reorganization of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), along with the appointment of Kelly Moore as permanent Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). On the AMS side, the agency will restructure its Fair Trade Practices Program by moving commodity-specific functions into the appropriate AMS commodity or service programs. Most notably for the chicken industry, the Packers and Stockyards Division will move to the Livestock and Poultry Program. USDA says the changes will be accompanied by no reduction in force.
WHY IT MATTERS: The Packers and Stockyards Division’s move to the Livestock and Poultry Program is the most significant piece of this reorganization for NCC members. USDA says the realignment is intended to reduce siloing, streamline communication, and give industry stakeholders a single point of contact for AMS-related issues — which could mean more direct and efficient engagement on issues like Packers and Stockyards regulations. Moore’s permanent appointment at APHIS brings stability to an agency that plays a critical role in managing animal disease threats, including HPAI and New World Screwworm.
WHAT’S NEXT: AMS says it will gradually reduce its Washington, D.C.-area footprint, with most future hiring occurring in USDA hub cities or field offices. Both AMS and APHIS have pledged continued stakeholder engagement throughout the transition. NCC will monitor how the Packers and Stockyards Division’s integration into the Livestock and Poultry Program affects day-to-day industry engagement and ongoing regulatory proceedings.
The NCC Summer Board of Directors meeting took place last week, June 12-13, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Here are a few photos from the event.
NCC President Harrison Kircher kicks off the meeting with opening remarks
NCC’s 2015 Summer Board meeting was held in the same room. Then-NCC Chairman Todd Simmons was presiding
Dr. Michael Swanson, Chief Agriculture Economist at Wells Fargo, addresses the Board
The Grand Teton mountain range
View from the first tee of the Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club. Box lunches were sponsored by Zoetis and golf tournament prizes were sponsored by International Paper
Golf tournament winners finishing at -7 (65). L-R: Brad Respess, Tip Top Poultry; Mike Popowycz, Case Foods; Bob Vail, Wells Fargo. The dinner where the awards were presented was sponsored by Rabobank
2nd place team finishing at -6 (66): Tom Hensley, Amanda Chosewood, Eddie Elrod, all with Fieldale Farms; and David Elrod, NCC
Longest drive winner Drake Gurley, Live Oak Bank
Golf Chairman Brad Respess (L) presenting the closest to the pin award to Will Sawyer, Cobb
Attendees enjoy a picnic lunch before a float ride down the Snake River. Lunch and transportation was sponsored by Messer
A view of the Snake River from lunch
Thank you to ALL of our generous sponsors!
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