H-2A visa program faces scrutiny over migrant worker exploitation

Migrant farmworkers participating in the United States H-2A agricultural visa program face significant health risks and labor exploitation. Many workers, primarily from Mexico, endure extreme conditions, such as severe heat illness, while working for low wages. Because the program ties a worker’s visa, housing, and paycheck to a single employer, advocates argue the structure is exploitative by design and prone to human rights violations, including human trafficking.

The Department of Labor projects the H-2A program could expand from 383,000 workers in 2025 to over 500,000 by 2034. While the program is a priority for expansion under the Trump administration, workers report being unable to take time off for medical emergencies due to the financial necessity of daily wages.