The Trump administration has decided to intervene to prevent a New Jersey town from seizing two brothers’ farm using eminent domain.
Although brothers Andy Henry and Christopher Henry’s family has owned the 21-acre Cranbury farm for five generations, it now faces potential seizure by town officials who claim they need the land to develop so-called “affordable housing” units for the poor.
Andy Henry received a letter in the mail stating that his farm could be sold to Cranbury, NJ, through eminent domain. Yes, even though Henry owns the farm and has been in his family for 175 years, the local government in NJ.
Why? To build “affordable housing” on this farmland.… pic.twitter.com/5UEYjmAc6E
— The Regenaissance (@_Regenaissance) June 3, 2025
Indeed, this very week, the Cranbury Township Council intends to vote to begin eminent domain proceedings against the property, according to Reason magazine.
But how can this be? Town officials have blamed New Jersey’s so-called “fair share” housing law which was signed into law by Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy last year.
Because of both the law and previous legislation and court decisions, New Jersey “municipalities are required to periodically produce plans and update their land use laws to meet state-set affordable housing goals,” according to Reason.
Cranbury, in particular, has reportedly been ordered to build 265 so-called “affordable housing” units.
The brothers’ attorney, Tim Duggan, has argued that there are other ways that the town could meet this requirement.
“It could change its zoning to allow for denser development,” Reason notes, citing his reasons. “It could attempt to voluntarily purchase other sites in the town. It could pass an ‘inclusionary zoning’ law requiring some percentage of new housing to be sold or rented at below-market rates.”
But the Cranbury Township Council hasn’t been receptive to these points.
Officials are “trying to take the easy way out by grabbing a farm and building it all at one time,” Duggan complained.
The good news is that the brothers now have a potent ally in Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who in a tweet earlier this month called the pending seizure another “Biden-style government takeover of our family farms.”
“While this particular case is a city eminent domain issue, we @usda are exploring every legal option to help,” she added.
On the phone with Andy Henry of Highland Ranch in Cranbury, NJ.
The city govt has approved seizing his 175-year-old family farm via eminent domain for affordable housing units.
Whether the Maudes, the Henrys or others whom we will soon announce, the Biden-style government… pic.twitter.com/0zFSdO9sYj
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) June 17, 2025
Rollins has since spoken to Andy, who told Fox Business Network that she “said she’d make a few calls.”
“She did acknowledge that this is not a federal issue, but she’s trying to help in any way she could,” he continued.
Andy and his brother also alleged that their farm’s physical closeness to several warehouses wouldn’t make it an ideal spot for affordable housing.
“Their attorney, Timothy Dugan, has also argued the move contradicts the town’s work to preserve agricultural land in the area,” Fox Business Network notes.
Plus, speaking with Reason, Andy noted that if the family had already sold the farm to a developer, it would have already been turned into a warehouse, meaning the town would have had to look elsewhere for their “affordable housing” development.
The family is backed by the Fair Share Housing Coalition, a New Jersey non-profit.
The farm is “a two-mile walk to the bus,” coalition member Aaron Gordon told Reason. “So people that are out there are not going to have an ability to get access to transportation. They’re not going to have an inability to get to the community.”
The family is also backed by locals who’ve launched a GoFundMe in their honor:
There is a gofundme to help save this family farm:https://t.co/AL7rhM8Ynq
— The Regenaissance (@_Regenaissance) June 14, 2025
“We’re raising funds to help Andy fight back against this betrayal—to cover legal fees, to stand up to eminent domain, and to send a message that we will not let backdoor deals and bureaucratic coldness destroy what makes Cranbury special,” the GoFundMe reads.
“This isn’t just a battle for one farm. It’s a stand against a system that sees land as dollar signs instead of heritage. Let’s show the Township that Cranbury isn’t for sale. Let’s show Andy that his sacrifices and his love for this land mean something,” it continues.
Writers and editors can be contacted at writers@bizpcreview.com with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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