The H-2A visa program threatens to damage our local food economy past the point of no return
Say NO to Human Trafficking
H-2A visa program harms local farms, local workers, and our local food system!
The H-2A Program is rampant with proven abuses, some leading to worker deaths.
Farm owners present the H-2A worker visa as immigration reform, and a solution to save local farms. But the reality of the program reveals as darker truth: workers suffer wage theft, denial of healthcare, deplorable living conditions, and in practice they have little to no federal or State protections. Workers lack rights to unionize, protection from health and safety standards, the right to file complaints, and other critical safeguards that ensure worker well-being. H-2A workers’ visas are held at the mercy of their employers, discouraging workers from speaking up about abuses.
Farm worker leadership has asked C2C to join their efforts to share the impacts of this program and help protect local jobs. Together, we understand that our local food system is vulnerable when built on the backs of an exploited labor force. Since the death of Honesto Silva Ibarra in 2017, C2C has been watching the growth of the H-2A visa program both locally and nationally.
Despite the well-documented abuses, the number of H-2A visa workers is skyrocketing.
Learn about the H-2A Visa program in our food system today:
The H-2A Visa Trap | ProPublica
The Dramatic Rise of Farm Labor Contractors Has Led to Rampant Abuses. Here’s Why Regulators Have Failed to Stop Them | Pro Publica
Ripe for Reform: Abuse of Agricultural Workers in the H-2A Visa Program | Centro de los Derechos del Migrante
Learn about the H-2 Program how it’s enabled worker abuses over time:
History of the H-2 Program | Labor Consultants International
Learn more about the H-2A visa program; the history, impacts, and growing number of workers in our food and agricultural systems.
In 2017, H-2A worker Honesto Silva Ibarra died after being denied rest, proper nutrition, and medical treatment.
His employer, Sarbanand Farm in Sumas, WA, forced him to work under dangerous wildfire smoke conditions, while he was ill. His death triggered other H-2A workers at Sarbanand to strike. The striking workers were subsequently fired and the employer kept their visas.
We have the power to stop the growth of H-2A in our communities!
Demand your Congressional Senators and Representatives vote NO on:
H.R.3227: The Farm Workforce Modernization Act
H.R.4393: The “Dignity” Act
H.R.1624: Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2025
H.R.1891: Moving H-2A to U.S. Dept. of Ag.
H.R.4367: Bracero Program 2.0 Act
H.R. 251: Legal Workforce Act