Items Tagged with 'National Council of Agricultural Employers'

Provisions in a Labor Department rule addressing the treatment and pay of H-2A farmworkers have been enjoined by a federal judge who ruled Monday the department exceeded its authority or did not adequately explain why it was changing its regulations.

The departments of Homeland Security and Labor need to streamline their operation of the H-2A farmworker program both to facilitate electronic processing of applications and more quickly identify workers who are due back wages, the Government Accountability Office said in a report issued last week.

The ag industry is watching to see how the Trump administration fulfills its pledge to deport millions of immigrant workers. Dairy farmers are especially concerned.

Former President Donald Trump’s plans to deport millions of undocumented immigrants if he wins a second term would decimate the agricultural workforce, farm group leaders say.

Employers who use the H-2A program are seeking nationwide relief from a Labor Department rule that has already been enjoined in 17 states. 

A court has rejected a challenge by agricultural employers to the Labor Department’s 2022 H-2A rule, finding that the department properly followed notice-and-comment procedures.