President Donald Trump's plan to suspend immigration into the U.S. will not apply to foreign farm workers, according to three industry sources familiar with the decision.
Trump tweeted on Monday night that he will sign an executive order to temporarily ban immigration to try and stem the spread of coronavirus. The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly still working on the order. Little information is known about its scope or when it will be signed.The Agriculture Department is working with the White House to publicly clarify that farm workers will be exempt, according to a lobbyist.
An ongoing labor shortage has led to the agriculture industry increasingly relying on the H-2A guest worker program to fill empty jobs on farming operations. In 2019, the Department of Labor certified more than 250,000 H-2A worker visas, a 10 percent increase from the year before. For farmers to hire seasonal workers from other countries, they must prove that the jobs could not be filled by domestic workers.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has eased requirements for farmers to use the H-2A program as the pandemic has disrupted the labor supply. The federal government waived in-person interviews for workers looking to get hired as embassies have shut down. Farmers can also hire foreign workers currently in the U.S., and the three-year time limit for workers has been temporarily lifted.
From farm workers to grocery store employees, the agriculture industry has continued running throughout the outbreak. Labor unions representing farm workers say they should be better protected and be provided hazard pay, free testing and coverage for health care costs. Farm laborers work and often live in close conditions, putting them at high risk of contracting the virus.
Most farm workers have visas to work...they are not illegal
It’s hard to keep up with guy ! Your out! ( 11 hours later ) I need tomato’s for my Bigmac, Poncho, your in.
Maybe his white trash supporters should do this job if they want to work!
Or golf course workers.
Someone has to pick the lettuce, onion and potatoes for his Big Macs and fries.
So farm workers can't carry the coronavirus? Good to know.
m_hostage Of course!
Good news! Maybe all the immigrants can now go help all our farmers? The farmers will prosper if they hire them!! That’s my opinion? What do farmer think 🤔 has anyone asked them? Maybe the immigrants can make those cottton swaps, for less?
I bet they are exempt for working at his golf courses and Mar a Lago and his other properties
trump: read my lips, no new immigration 😆
Trump’s selective immigration....because he needs his toilet cleaned.
So what’s the point of the ban?
Hardworking farm hands aren't the illegal immigrants you're looking for. We want to stop the identity-stealing, law-shirking drunk drivers, rapists and other criminals. Some illegals, we assume, are good people. Narrator: 'probably not tho since they ignore our laws day 1'
Cannot get one thing right. Always back tracking
You act like he has a plan in place. There is no plan. It was a tweet to appease his base since he’s doing so bad at leading the coronavirus pandemic. Call it what it is.
So in other words, he will be walking much of this announcement back 🤦♀️.... America would not be able to function without immigrants 🤷🏼♀️Unfortunately his cult will not hear the walk backs, so mission accomplished 😣
But There are people in Red states dying to go back to work.
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