Overview
- In an Oct. 2 Federal Register filing, the department said intensified enforcement has reduced the farm labor supply and could raise grocery costs.
- The proposal would set state-by-state entry and experience wage tiers for H-2A workers to encourage legal hiring through the program.
- California’s proposed tiers are $16.45 for entry-level and $18.71 for experienced workers, with employer savings estimated at about $24 billion over ten years nationwide.
- Officials wrote that U.S. workers are not entering agricultural jobs in meaningful numbers despite higher pay, leaving farms exposed to ICE raids and staffing gaps.
- A White House official defended enforcement and pledged visa-program reforms, while industry voices warned sectors like dairy that cannot use H-2A still face acute shortages.