One U.S. visa program is growing rapidly. No one is happy with it.
The H-2A visa program for seasonal agricultural workers has seen a 500% increase in usage since 2012, yet it faces criticism from both political parties and labor advocates. Farmers are pushing for expansion to meet labor needs, while others raise concerns about potential workplace abuses and immigration policy.
Why it matters
The program's growth highlights the tension between the agricultural industry's reliance on foreign labor and the broader, often conflicting, national immigration policy goals.
The Trump administration is focused on an immigration crackdown . But agriculture employers and some moderate Republicans want to start negotiating at least one aspect of legal immigration: expanding a visa program that brings foreign workers to America's farms.
Dozens of farmers — including dairymen and blueberry, apple and peach growers — and lobbying powerhouses like the American Farm Bureau Federation took to Washington this month to advocate for their labor needs. At the center of discussions is a bill introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson that would expand access to the H-2A visa for seasonal agricultural labor.
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