All articles tagged with #farm labor
Pennsylvania farmers are urging quick legislative action on a farm labor bill to replace temporary measures and address ongoing issues with the H-2A program, which is seen as cumbersome and uncertain amid fluctuating immigration enforcement policies, impacting harvests and farm operations.
The Trump administration is launching a new program through the Office of Immigration Policy to streamline temporary migrant worker visas, aiming to support industries like agriculture and hospitality while denying any form of amnesty for illegal immigrants, amidst ongoing tensions between industry needs and strict immigration enforcement.
A Trump administration official suggests replacing deported farm workers with Medicaid enrollees who meet work requirements, amid ongoing debates over immigration, labor, and healthcare policies, with broader implications for rural and urban communities and political dynamics.
The number of seasonal foreign workers on U.S. farms has quadrupled over the past decade, with farms increasingly relying on guest workers to address labor shortages. The H-2A visa program allows employers to bring in foreign farmworkers on a temporary basis when they cannot find enough workers in the U.S. However, the program is plagued with labor rights violations, and both labor advocates and farmers have concerns. While the program provides essential work opportunities for foreign workers, it offers no pathway for them to stay in the U.S. beyond the harvest. Additionally, the program is expensive for farmers and comes with significant red tape. Enforcement gaps have led to wage theft and other abuses, with some cases involving slavery-like conditions.