Trump admin drops charges against South Dakota rancher family prosecuted by Biden admin

The Trump administration has dropped criminal charges that were brought against a South Dakota family over their fence line brought forth against them by the Biden administration, saying that it was "politically motivated prosecution."

"Over-criminalization by the federal government is OVER. Regulation by prosecution is NO MORE," Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins wrote after attending a cabinet meeting, during which she spoke on the charges being dropped.

She noted during the meeting that the Maude family had a fence that had been in place since the early 20th century. "There had never been really any problem that had been brought to their attention, perhaps there was a minor dispute over again, 25 acres. This family was indicted, prosecuted, threatened with jail time, told to find guardians for their children over a fenceline dispute that the Biden DOJ pushed forward."

She said that her and Department of Homeland Security Secretary and former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem met with the family in Washington, DC earlier on Tuesday.

Rollins wrote in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal on the charges being dropped that 25 acres of the Maude family’s property runs alongside the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, which is administered by the US Forest Service. The boundary between the two lands was "poorly demarcated," but the family had an "informal agreement" with the Forest Service that allowed their family to graze cattle.

The Biden administration conducted a survey of the boundary, not informing the Maude family of the results, and accused them of "theft of government property." 

Rollins said that in addition to dropping the charges against the Maude family, "I am also ordering that all USDA pursuits of other Americans in similar situations be immediately halted."