WASHINGTON (AP) — Brooke Rollins has been confirmed as secretary of agriculture. The Senate confirmed Rollins in a vote Thursday, placing a close ally of President Donald Trump into a key Cabinet position at a time when mass deportation plans could lead to farm labor shortages and tariffs could hit agricultural exports. Rollins acknowledged that Trump’s plans for the mass deportation of people in the country illegally could led to labor shortages on arms. But Rollins said Americans support Trump’s plans and she would work to help the president while also trying to protect farmers. Rollins also promised to “modernize” USDA in line with Trump’s vision for the department.
Brooke Rollins attends a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing on her nomination for Secretary of Agriculture, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)