Labor Crackdown

Labor Crackdown

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
ICE continues enforcements and the Department of Labor vows there will be a crack down on work Visas while the nation’s farmers and ranchers are still waiting for the Trump administration to  address the farm labor shortage.

 

Meanwhile the Department of Labor issued a press release that promises to crack down on 'abuses of worker visa programs' and the US Ag sector is concerned.

 

The Department of Labor press release earlier this week had the  headline: “US Secretary of Labor protects Americans, directs agencies to aggressively confront visa program fraud and abuse,” the release said that it was  “using all its tools” to enforce labor rules and regs in the visa programs.

 

The release goes on to cite enforcement against an Arizona farming operation accused of keeping H-2A workers in “illegal and sub-standard” housing. In citing the case, the release says that “work has already begun on promoting the hiring of Americans and safeguarding working conditions.”

 

In California,Texas and Arizona media reports detail stepped up enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but so far appear to target violent criminals and gang members rather than farmworkers.

 

The Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform, confirmed that the Labor Department has been more actively enforcing regulations in H-2A and H-2B, the visa program for non-agricultural workers, for several years. The group says its much more intense under the current Administration.

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