U.S. Farmworker Protection Act
Rep. Jayapal's Bill Would Cap Foreign Farmworkers at 400,000 Annually, Exempt Union Jobs
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would set a hard limit on the number of temporary foreign farmworkers allowed into the country each year. The Department of Labor would be restricted to approving no more than 400,000 H-2A visa positions annually.
- The proposal includes a major exception: any farmworker position covered by a labor union or a collective bargaining agreement would not count toward the 400,000-person cap. This is intended to encourage unionization in the agricultural sector.
- Supporters of the bill, led by Representative Jayapal, argue that the H-2A program has grown too fast, jumping from about 82,000 workers in 2008 to nearly 385,000 in 2024. They believe this rapid growth makes it harder for American citizens to find farm jobs and keeps wages low for everyone.
- If passed, this would mark the first time the H-2A program has had a national limit. Currently, there is no cap on how many temporary agricultural workers can be brought in, as long as employers can prove they could not find enough local workers to do the job.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
H-2A visa holders would face new uncertainty under this bill. With a hard cap of 400,000 positions per year, some workers who previously would have been approved could be shut out once the limit is reached. This is a significant change from the current system, which has no numerical cap. Workers employed under union contracts would be exempt, but most H-2A workers are not unionized, so the cap would affect the vast majority of applicants.
State Impacts
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles
New Proposed Bill Would Cap H-2A Visas at 400,000 a Year
Introduced by Rep. Jayapal, the Protect U.S. Farmworkers Act seeks to cap H-2A visas at 400,000 annually to prevent the program's 'runaway growth.' The bill includes an exception for union-protected positions and follows a lawsuit against wage cuts for farmworkers.
From 'Hate Free' to Anti-Immigrant: The Shift in Jayapal's Farmworker Policy
Critique of the Protect U.S. Farmworkers Act, arguing that the 400,000 cap and union exception are designed to force unionization rather than protect workers. The author claims the bill would rob H-2A visa holders of earnings and disrupt the need-based approval process.
UFW Demands H2A Visa Cap After Latest Forced Labor and Trafficking Incident
Coverage of the United Farm Workers' endorsement of the Protect U.S. Farmworkers Act. The article links the need for a 400,000 visa cap to recent federal indictments for human trafficking and forced labor within the H-2A guest worker program.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
U.S. Farmworker Protection Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(8)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.