Judge Says Trump H-2A Wage Rule Could Hurt American Farmworkers
The Department of Labor's efforts to address labor shortages and cut costs failed to consider U.S. workers, the judge said.
A federal judge has ruled that a Trump administration rule, which lowered wage requirements for many foreign agricultural workers, was unlawful. U.S. District Judge Kirk Sherriff, a Biden appointee, stated that the Department of Labor failed to demonstrate that the rule would protect U.S. farmworkers from depressed wages, and did not follow proper federal rulemaking procedures.
The administration argued that the rule was necessary to address labor shortages in agriculture and to reduce costs for growers facing stricter immigration enforcement. While the judge did not immediately vacate the rule, he ordered the Labor Department to quickly develop a new wage-setting methodology. The ruling highlights the crucial role of farmworkers in providing food for the nation and advocates for fair compensation.
The government is now required to issue legal wage rates that protect farmworkers' jobs and wages, and employers must be held accountable for any differences between the new legal wage and the previously illegal wage rates.
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