USDA Diversity Workshop Instructed Attendees to Chant 'Our Forefathers Were Illegal Immigrants'

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) paid Chicago consultants over $200,000 in taxpayer money to put on diversity training workshops that included activities in which employees were instructed to chant “our forefathers were illegal immigrants.” 

The government watchdog group Judicial Watch alleged in documents released this week that these programs only served to promote and enforce left-wing political agendas. 

A USDA department official said the statements were not reflective of USDA policy, and the consultants merely had “participants repeat provocative and potentially offensive phrases as part of an exercise to examine stereotypes.”

According to Judicial Watch, the USDA has given at least $200,000 to the company Souder, Betances & Associates over the last two years for similar diversity training programs and workshops. 

According to Judicial Watch, a tipster told the organization that speakers led USDA employees in chants such as “our forefathers were illegal immigrants” while encouraging participants to pound on the table. 

The USDA sent a statement to Fox News claiming the sessions were meant to “foster overall diversity awareness.” 

“USDA offers a number of optional workshops and professional development opportunities in order to help employees better serve our customers,” the statement said. “The Souder Betances & Associates sessions were designed to foster overall diversity awareness — not to focus on any specific minority group — and received positive feedback from employees across the department.” 

And yet, the USDA has been hesitant to release documents to Judicial Watch and cooperate with the group for the ongoing investigation.