U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and several other Trump cabinet members
issued a joint statement on Thursday in which they said their departments are
working in coordination to propose streamlining, simplifying, and improving the
H-2A temporary agricultural visa program -- reducing cumbersome bureaucracy and
ensuring adequate protections for U.S. workers.
"The Trump Administration is committed to modernizing the H-2A visa
program rules in a way that is responsive to stakeholder concerns and that
deepens our confidence in the program as a source of legal and verified labor
for agriculture -- while also reinforcing the program's strong employment and
wage protections for the American workforce. In addition, by improving the H-2A
visa program and substantially reducing its complexity, the Administration also
plans to incentivize farmers' use of the E-Verify program to ensure their
workforce is authorized to work in the United States," the joint statement
read.
"As the agencies tasked with administering or facilitating the H-2A visa
program, and thus closest to farmer and labor stakeholders, the departments of
State, Agriculture, Labor, and Homeland Security are embarking on a process to
modernize the H-2A visa program by clarifying and improving the regulations
governing the program. We look forward to delivering a more responsive program
soon," the statement concluded.