Policy: Immigration
Nearly 70 percent of U.S. farmworkers are foreign born, and approximately 45 percent of farmworkers are undocumented immigrants. A growing number of workers are on H-2A temporary non-immigrant visas with the program more than doubling in size over the last decade. Often working and living in the shadows, immigrant farmworkers are incredibly vulnerable to wage theft and other unfair labor practices. Farmworker Justice works with partners, lawmakers and government agencies to advance an immigration policy that treats farmworkers fairly and with dignity.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Immigration status impacts farmworkers’ wages, labor rights, health and safety. Undocumented immigrants are more vulnerable to exploitation and less likely to assert their rights due to fear of deportation. Farmworker Justice works with advocates and lawmakers to create pathways to legal status for undocumented farmworkers and their family members.
H-2A VISA PROGRAM
A growing number of farmworkers are in the U.S. on H-2A temporary agricultural guestworker program. H-2A workers are vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking because their visa is tied to the employer or labor contractor that sponsors them. Farmworker Justice has worked for many years to strengthen protections for H-2A workers and U.S. workers in corresponding employment. Our report, No Way to Treat a Guest, details the rampant abuses inherent in the program. Farmworker Justice engages in advocacy at the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen worker protections and ensure program integrity. We also de...
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