Trump administration steps in as Cranbury farm faces eminent domain so town can build affordable housing

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CRANBURY, N.J. — The Trump administration is stepping into a local eminent domain battle in Middlesex County, where a New Jersey farmer is fighting to preserve his 175-year-old family farm from being seized for an affordable housing project.

Andy Henry, owner of Highland Ranch in Cranbury, says local officials have approved plans to take his 21-acre farm on South River Road through eminent domain, citing the development of a new housing complex as justification. The property has been in Henry’s family since 1850.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins addressed the dispute Monday, writing on social media that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is reviewing legal options. “While this particular case is a city eminent domain issue, we @usda are exploring every…