As New World screwworm spreads across Texas and reaches neighboring New Mexico, a growing number of residents are pointing fingers not at migrants or border policies, but at the Trump administration’s cuts to disease monitoring programs and federal agencies that were designed to stop outbreaks before they reached the United States.
The USDA has now confirmed five cases since the first domestic screwworm infestation in roughly 60 years was discovered in a Texas calf. The flesh-eating parasite has since been found in additional calves, a goat, and a dog in New Mexico, raising fears about the potential impact on livestock, wildlife, pets, and food prices.
The outbreak has also triggered a fierce political battle.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has repeatedly blamed former President Joe Biden, arguing that the pest’s northward spread was enabled by weak border and immigration policies. Speaking this week, Rollins said the threat emerged during the Biden administration as screwworm steadily advanced through Mexico toward the U.S.
Democrats are pushing back hard.
The Democratic National Committee and several lawmakers have instead pointed to Trump administration cuts affecting USDA staffing and programs focused on monitoring and responding to New World screwworm. Critics have also highlighted reporting from Agri-Pulse that revealed more than 100 U.S.-funded programs at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization were terminated in 2025, including efforts to monitor and contain screwworm outbreaks in Central America.
According to the report, stop-work orders were issued just days before the U.S. resumed cattle imports from Mexico.
“We Knew This Was Coming”
The issue has exploded across social media, where frustrated Texans and other Americans are arguing that the outbreak was entirely predictable.
One widely shared discussion on Reddit’s Texas community attracted thousands of comments after a user warned that screwworm could “completely devastate Texas” if containment efforts fail.
Many commenters directly referenced the canceled monitoring programs.
“Sure would be a shame if someone had cut the funding for the USAID program that monitored screwworm infections throughout Central America. Oh wait…” one user wrote.
Another commenter posted a link to the Agri-Pulse report and argued: “The program that was monitoring it was killed off last year in Trump’s cuts. Best of luck Texas. You’re going to need it.”
The frustration extends beyond Texas. In New Mexico, where the first state case was recently confirmed in a dog, residents voiced similar concerns.
“The screwworm program that he eliminated was one of the most effective and low-cost interventions and it had been successful for years,” one commenter wrote. “Now we will be dealing with the fallout for years.”
Others warned that the consequences could stretch far beyond cattle ranches. Discussions focused on potential impacts to dairy production, horses, sheep, goats, pet ownership, wildlife populations, leather goods, and rising food costs.
Experts say the immediate priority is stopping further spread. But online, many Americans are already debating a different question: whether a crisis that had been held at bay for decades became far more likely after preventive programs were dismantled.
With beef prices already under pressure and new cases continuing to emerge, that argument is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
