Washington, D.C.—The United Farm Workers and the UFW Foundation welcome the finalization of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security rule to reform the H-2 programs and vow to defend them amidst the incoming Trump administration. 

The finalized rule will allow H-2A workers to leave abusive employers for another H-2A job without losing their visa, allow eligible H-2A workers to apply for adjustment of status without losing their H-2A visa and job, and hold employers accountable for illegal recruitment fees and other violations of the law. This new rule goes into effect on January 17, 2025, and will remain in place barring the Trump administration intentionally moving to remove worker protections.

“The abusive and exploitative H2A system functions as modern-day indentured servitude – with employers effectively owning workers’ visas,” said President of the United Farm Workers Teresa Romero. “Under the current rules, no matter how badly an H2A worker is treated, it is almost impossible to find another job without losing their visa. This new rule will now give H2A workers more time to find a new job without losing their visa. We welcome this long-overdue and moderate improvement to the H2A system — and will fight to ensure President Trump does not dismantle this pro-worker rule. By expanding basic labor protections to guest workers, we also protect U.S. citizen workers from unfair competition”.

“We are encouraged to see desperately needed reforms to a program that is rife with employer exploitation of workers,” said UFW Foundation Chief Executive Officer Erica Lomeli Corcoran. "Employers should not use the H-2A program to displace U.S. farm workers and circumvent basic labor protections. We have long called for systemic reforms to the H-2A program and welcome the finalized DHS rule as a critical step. We will continue to advocate and defend these reforms and ensure that U.S. and H-2A workers are treated with dignity and respect.”

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