Essay On H-2a Immigration Reform

The Effect of The H-2A Immigration Reform Program

The agriculture industry is one of the utmost important industries in any economy, after all, this industry alone provides the three components that are vital to sustain life; food, fiber and shelter. The United States agriculture industry, like everything else, has strengths and weaknesses. A weakness that desperately needs to be addressed is immigration reform, more specifically, the H-2A Immigration Reform Program. The official definition of the H-2A Program posted on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website states, “The H-2A program allows U.S. employers or agents who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs,” (U.S. Citizenship, par. 1). The H-2A program affects farmers, as this process is risky, very expensive, comes with a long list of responsibilities and has proven not to be a timely process for the employers of H-2A migrant workers. Although immigration has become necessary to the U.S. agriculture industry for numerous reasons. The effects of the H-2A policy are damaging to this already diminishing empire, these effects are high-risk factors for employers, multiple exorbitant expenses and an unprogressive-timing process.

For farmers, once an H-2A worker is officially employed the employer is 100 percent liable for the actions of that worker within a local, state and international

The H-2A program brought relief to the shortage of workers in the industry and gave foreign workers new opportunities. At the same time, has multiple disadvantages when it comes to its effect on the livelihood of American agronomists. It is time that America learns how to stand on its own two feet and provide for itself, and simultaneously discontinue relying on others to do