This week we learned of yet another appalling incident of forced labor and human trafficking in the H2A guest worker program.
The H2A program is out of control. It's time for Congress to create an H2A visa cap. How many more abuses will it take before Congress acts? 1/
The H2A program is out of control. It's time for Congress to create an H2A visa cap. How many more abuses will it take before Congress acts? 1/
February 24, 2026 at 9:28 PM
This week we learned of yet another appalling incident of forced labor and human trafficking in the H2A guest worker program.
The H2A program is out of control. It's time for Congress to create an H2A visa cap. How many more abuses will it take before Congress acts? 1/
The H2A program is out of control. It's time for Congress to create an H2A visa cap. How many more abuses will it take before Congress acts? 1/
"Alberto" is a H2A worker who harvests poblano peppers in Gilroy CA. "My pay has gone down this year due to Trump's H2a wage cuts. Even though our pay is cut, the productivity growers expect from us went up. I'm happy that the judge ruled that the pay cuts are illegal." #WeFeedYou
September 23, 2026 at 11:01 PM
"Alberto" is a H2A worker who harvests poblano peppers in Gilroy CA. "My pay has gone down this year due to Trump's H2a wage cuts. Even though our pay is cut, the productivity growers expect from us went up. I'm happy that the judge ruled that the pay cuts are illegal." #WeFeedYou
"Pablo" shared this video of his crew of H2A workers in Oxnard harvesting lettuce at an hourly rate. He shared, "H2A workers earned $19.75 back in 2025 and now we are doing the same hard work for $16.50." #WeFeedYou
May 22, 2026 at 11:00 PM
"Pablo" shared this video of his crew of H2A workers in Oxnard harvesting lettuce at an hourly rate. He shared, "H2A workers earned $19.75 back in 2025 and now we are doing the same hard work for $16.50." #WeFeedYou
The horrors of human trafficking and modern day slavery exposed in the H2A guest worker program should carry the highest penalties.
A year and a day sentence is a slap on the wrist.
The H2A program must be reformed to prevent such horror from occurring again.
A year and a day sentence is a slap on the wrist.
The H2A program must be reformed to prevent such horror from occurring again.
February 13, 2025 at 9:06 PM
The horrors of human trafficking and modern day slavery exposed in the H2A guest worker program should carry the highest penalties.
A year and a day sentence is a slap on the wrist.
The H2A program must be reformed to prevent such horror from occurring again.
A year and a day sentence is a slap on the wrist.
The H2A program must be reformed to prevent such horror from occurring again.
"John" is a H2A worker who harvests apples in NYs Hudson Valley. "We took a big pay cut this year because of the new H2A wage rules. It isn't fair. The work is the same, just as difficult, but we get paid less. We only get 7-8 weeks of work, so every cent counts." #WeFeedYou
August 18, 2026 at 11:00 PM
"John" is a H2A worker who harvests apples in NYs Hudson Valley. "We took a big pay cut this year because of the new H2A wage rules. It isn't fair. The work is the same, just as difficult, but we get paid less. We only get 7-8 weeks of work, so every cent counts." #WeFeedYou
These are ALL tactics that labor contractors (basically temp agencies that farmers rent H2A workers from) use. Frequently!
There were *anti-slavery regs* put in place to stop the worst offenses in the H2A program.
Trump repealed them in June 2025!
There were *anti-slavery regs* put in place to stop the worst offenses in the H2A program.
Trump repealed them in June 2025!
January 28, 2026 at 1:41 PM
These are ALL tactics that labor contractors (basically temp agencies that farmers rent H2A workers from) use. Frequently!
There were *anti-slavery regs* put in place to stop the worst offenses in the H2A program.
Trump repealed them in June 2025!
There were *anti-slavery regs* put in place to stop the worst offenses in the H2A program.
Trump repealed them in June 2025!
Yeah to be clear there are a LOT of farm workers get paid less than that (they're H2A & their temp agency keeps a cut, they have to pay back loans for H2A paperwork/transportation which is illegal but still happens, they're undocumented & don't get the H2A min wage, etc)
July 14, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Yeah to be clear there are a LOT of farm workers get paid less than that (they're H2A & their temp agency keeps a cut, they have to pay back loans for H2A paperwork/transportation which is illegal but still happens, they're undocumented & don't get the H2A min wage, etc)
Orchard workers need waterproof boots like these to do their work. Most H2A orders require employers to provide any tools or equipment needed to perform their duties, but none of the H2A workers we've spoken to have ever had these boots provided for them. #WeFeedYou
December 22, 2024 at 3:00 PM
Orchard workers need waterproof boots like these to do their work. Most H2A orders require employers to provide any tools or equipment needed to perform their duties, but none of the H2A workers we've spoken to have ever had these boots provided for them. #WeFeedYou
tl;dr Yes prison labor will probably play some role. But the bulk of the US's farm labor by far will probably come from WAY more H2A visas.
Which the Trump admin just lowered wages on! They've also made it a lot easier to do modern day farm slavery on H2A workers & get away with it.
Which the Trump admin just lowered wages on! They've also made it a lot easier to do modern day farm slavery on H2A workers & get away with it.
October 12, 2025 at 6:01 PM
tl;dr Yes prison labor will probably play some role. But the bulk of the US's farm labor by far will probably come from WAY more H2A visas.
Which the Trump admin just lowered wages on! They've also made it a lot easier to do modern day farm slavery on H2A workers & get away with it.
Which the Trump admin just lowered wages on! They've also made it a lot easier to do modern day farm slavery on H2A workers & get away with it.
The logic behind cutting the H2A minimum wage was "Farmers can't afford it."
If that were true, H2A hiring wouldn't be exploding like this.
If that were true, H2A hiring wouldn't be exploding like this.
November 16, 2025 at 3:28 PM
The logic behind cutting the H2A minimum wage was "Farmers can't afford it."
If that were true, H2A hiring wouldn't be exploding like this.
If that were true, H2A hiring wouldn't be exploding like this.
PROTECT FARM WORKERS: Tell your congressmember to support legislation to cap H2A visas. The runaway growth of the current H2A program has been a disaster for US farm workers' wages and jobs. act.seiu.org/a/h2avisacap...
#WeFeedYou
#WeFeedYou
February 23, 2026 at 6:27 PM
PROTECT FARM WORKERS: Tell your congressmember to support legislation to cap H2A visas. The runaway growth of the current H2A program has been a disaster for US farm workers' wages and jobs. act.seiu.org/a/h2avisacap...
#WeFeedYou
#WeFeedYou
Workers have started arriving for the apple harvest in western NY. These H2A workers will work over the next 3 months from sun up to sun down harvesting several varieties of apples. #wefeedyou
September 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Workers have started arriving for the apple harvest in western NY. These H2A workers will work over the next 3 months from sun up to sun down harvesting several varieties of apples. #wefeedyou
Let’s give thanks to the H2A workers from Jamaica who labor in NY’s fields. They grew and harvested these beautiful pumpkins for our Thanksgiving holiday. #WeFeedYou
November 29, 2024 at 12:00 AM
Let’s give thanks to the H2A workers from Jamaica who labor in NY’s fields. They grew and harvested these beautiful pumpkins for our Thanksgiving holiday. #WeFeedYou
Farm workers at Cahoon Farms in Wolcott NY were left unable to return to their homes in Jamaica due to the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. Members of PSL Finger Lakes & Trinity Church in Geneva NY put together a food drive to help these H2A workers in the short term. #WeFeedYou
November 4, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Farm workers at Cahoon Farms in Wolcott NY were left unable to return to their homes in Jamaica due to the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. Members of PSL Finger Lakes & Trinity Church in Geneva NY put together a food drive to help these H2A workers in the short term. #WeFeedYou
These Jamaican H2A workers are laboring in upstate NY on a cold 26° snowy day. They're planting and pruning new apple trees. #WeFeedYou
December 6, 2023 at 4:10 AM
These Jamaican H2A workers are laboring in upstate NY on a cold 26° snowy day. They're planting and pruning new apple trees. #WeFeedYou
Yep, "you can't just fire people, keep their passports, do brutality, not even a little bit" was in some anti-slavery reforms to the H2A program in 2024.
Farmers were outraged at the "gov't overreach & red tape."
They went hard for Trump in '24, & he repealed those farm worker regs in June 2025.
Farmers were outraged at the "gov't overreach & red tape."
They went hard for Trump in '24, & he repealed those farm worker regs in June 2025.
I'm also guessing that the farmers in question didn't want their workers to be able to quit and that they wanted the right to "discipline" them for "poor performance" however they saw fit?
July 31, 2026 at 12:48 AM
Yep, "you can't just fire people, keep their passports, do brutality, not even a little bit" was in some anti-slavery reforms to the H2A program in 2024.
Farmers were outraged at the "gov't overreach & red tape."
They went hard for Trump in '24, & he repealed those farm worker regs in June 2025.
Farmers were outraged at the "gov't overreach & red tape."
They went hard for Trump in '24, & he repealed those farm worker regs in June 2025.
I'm still mad someone decided to call them H2A, H2B, H3, H4.
September 29, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I'm still mad someone decided to call them H2A, H2B, H3, H4.
TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT FARM WORKERS: Click to tell your congressmember to support legislation to cap H2A visas. The runaway growth of the current H2A program is a disaster for US farm workers' wages and jobs. We have to stop it.
act.seiu.org/a/h2avisacap... #WeFeedYou
act.seiu.org/a/h2avisacap... #WeFeedYou
March 25, 2026 at 4:34 PM
TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT FARM WORKERS: Click to tell your congressmember to support legislation to cap H2A visas. The runaway growth of the current H2A program is a disaster for US farm workers' wages and jobs. We have to stop it.
act.seiu.org/a/h2avisacap... #WeFeedYou
act.seiu.org/a/h2avisacap... #WeFeedYou
Tell your congressmember to support legislation to cap H2A visas. The runaway growth of the current H2A program has been a disaster for US farm workers' wages & jobs. Local workers told us about being illegally fired to make way for H-2A workers. act.seiu.org/a/h2avisacap... #WeFeedYou
February 17, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Tell your congressmember to support legislation to cap H2A visas. The runaway growth of the current H2A program has been a disaster for US farm workers' wages & jobs. Local workers told us about being illegally fired to make way for H-2A workers. act.seiu.org/a/h2avisacap... #WeFeedYou
It's appropriate on #BlackHistoryMonth we uplift Kevin's voice. He's been a Jamaican H2A worker for the last 10 yrs & is excited over the implementation of his UFW contract at NYs Wafler Farms. He's looking forward to getting the benefits his contract provides. #UnionsForAll
February 9, 2026 at 11:01 PM
It's appropriate on #BlackHistoryMonth we uplift Kevin's voice. He's been a Jamaican H2A worker for the last 10 yrs & is excited over the implementation of his UFW contract at NYs Wafler Farms. He's looking forward to getting the benefits his contract provides. #UnionsForAll
Long answer: The problem isn't exactly low pay.
Farm wages are *already* at or near living wage for rural areas.
(This is the H2A minimum wage for 2025. Since farmers keep hiring more & more H2A workers, it stands to reason that this is a wage farms can afford to pay.)
Farm wages are *already* at or near living wage for rural areas.
(This is the H2A minimum wage for 2025. Since farmers keep hiring more & more H2A workers, it stands to reason that this is a wage farms can afford to pay.)
July 14, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Long answer: The problem isn't exactly low pay.
Farm wages are *already* at or near living wage for rural areas.
(This is the H2A minimum wage for 2025. Since farmers keep hiring more & more H2A workers, it stands to reason that this is a wage farms can afford to pay.)
Farm wages are *already* at or near living wage for rural areas.
(This is the H2A minimum wage for 2025. Since farmers keep hiring more & more H2A workers, it stands to reason that this is a wage farms can afford to pay.)
(Trump's doing ICE raids bc there are finally enough H2A workers to replace undocumented workers. Yes farmers are mad about losing workers to ICE raids, but way less than they wd have been 5-10 years ago.
And the rent-an-H2A-worker trade was born here in NC. Thanks to Dem voters in Wake County 🤷♀️)
And the rent-an-H2A-worker trade was born here in NC. Thanks to Dem voters in Wake County 🤷♀️)
July 5, 2026 at 10:18 PM
(Trump's doing ICE raids bc there are finally enough H2A workers to replace undocumented workers. Yes farmers are mad about losing workers to ICE raids, but way less than they wd have been 5-10 years ago.
And the rent-an-H2A-worker trade was born here in NC. Thanks to Dem voters in Wake County 🤷♀️)
And the rent-an-H2A-worker trade was born here in NC. Thanks to Dem voters in Wake County 🤷♀️)
Huh...... pretty much completely off-topic, but Trump has a property somewhere that hires H2A workers. The job description for them is managing a vineyard.
November 12, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Huh...... pretty much completely off-topic, but Trump has a property somewhere that hires H2A workers. The job description for them is managing a vineyard.
November 8, 2024 at 3:23 AM