Sid Miller, the Republican Texas Agriculture Commissioner filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration last Monday for discrimination against white farmers.
According to Miller – who is represented by the America First Legal Foundation – the president’s Agricultural Department’s racial exclusion of whites in their Coronavirus relief package for farmers and ranchers goes in violation of the United States Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as per Courthouse News Service.
The report outlined the following:
“The lawsuit says the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed by Congress last month includes provisions for the forgiveness of loans to ‘socially disadvantaged’ farmers or ranchers of up to 120% of the value of the loan. It claims other federal laws limit help for white farmers and ranchers, including the Agriculture Department being required to give preference to grant applications filed by ‘socially disadvantaged’ farmers or ranchers.”
“These racial exclusions are patently unconstitutional, and the court should permanently enjoin their enforcement,” the complaint reads. “Doing so will promote equal rights under the law for all American citizens and promote efforts to stop racial discrimination, because ‘[t]he way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.’”
"All farmers need the help, we shouldn't be dividing it on race…treat everybody equal, don't segregate us on race" says Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. @MillerForTexas [with @JohnFBachman on Newsmax TV: https://t.co/VlT7z8v2lm] pic.twitter.com/LV0nld9SAY
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) April 28, 2021
According to the complaint, white people have also been discriminated against in the history of America, and hence
“unambiguously qualify as members of a ‘socially disadvantaged group,’ and as ‘socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.
Indeed, throughout American history, many white ethnic groups have been subject to ‘racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities,’ including Irish, Italians, Germans, Jews and eastern Europeans. Members of these ethnic groups unambiguously qualify as members of a ‘socially disadvantaged group,’ and as ‘socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers,’ under the plain text … ’”
“An interpretation of the underlying statutes that excludes plaintiffs like Miller because he is not ‘black enough’ would raise grave constitutional concerns under Bolling v. Sharpe and it should be rejected for that reason alone. For the same reason, the statutes should not be construed to empower the Department of Agriculture to choose a minimum threshold of minority ancestry when determining eligibility for benefits.”
American First Legal Foundation, is headed by former White House adviser and immigration expert Stephen Miller.
Ex-Trump aide Stephen Miller launches legal group to fight Democrats in the courts https://t.co/vSUc2jOGR1
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 7, 2021
Miller started the project earlier this month in hopes of proliferating America First policy and stopping unconstitutional actions coming from the Biden administration by the use of legal action.
“Those who believe in America First must not shy away from using our legal system to defend our society and our families from any unlawful actions by the left,” Miller said, as per CBS News. “Those looking to hold the new administration in Washington to account finally have their answer. Our self-imposed policy of legal disarmament is now over.”
Miller’s foundation has also filed a lawsuit against the current administration on behalf of Texas Republicans for
“refusing to expel unaccompanied, migrant Central American children under the Trump administration’s Title 42, resulting in overcrowding at federal holding facilities at the border with Mexico,” Courthouse News Service reported.
