The Trump administration is focused on an immigration crackdown.But agriculture employers and some moderate Republicans want to start negotiating at least one aspect of legal immigration: expanding a visa program that brings foreign workers to America's farms.Dozens of farmers — including dairymen and blueberry, apple and peach growers — and lobbying powerhouses like the American Farm Bureau Federation took to Washington this month to advocate for their labor needs.
At the center of discussions is a bill introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson that would expand access to the H-2A visa for seasonal agricultural labor."While this may not be in our jurisdiction, it is certainly in the interest of the farmers and ranchers, and foresters that we represent," Thompson, R-Pa., told reporters and gathered farmers.He nodded to the fact that the House Judiciary Committee, not his, must approve any bill related to immigration and visas.The H-2A visa program provides workers, primarily from Mexico, for farms that need someone to pick, fertilize and prune crops on a seasonal and temporary basis.
Historically, farms with year-round needs such as dairies have been excluded from the program.But use of H-2A visas has jumped more than 500% since 2012 — from 62,743 to nearly 400,000 in 2025, in part because other programs have strict caps and other limits.Despite its growing popularity and farmers' reliance on the program, employers, labor advocates and both political parties agree that it is far from perfect.
But there are strong ideological and practical differences on what needs to be changed.Labor organizations and conservatives are skeptical of any program that expands the use of foreign labor.Labor groups have long criticized the H-2A program for the potential of workplace abuses; and conservatives take issue with any program that could grandfather in workers currently working in the U.S.
illegally.Farmers and other businesses warn of imme...