DistantNews
Support us
Judge rules Trump administration illegally cut wages for temporary farmworkers Image: iStock
🇲🇽 Mexico /Crime & Justice

Judge rules Trump administration illegally cut wages for temporary farmworkers

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • A federal judge declared illegal a Labor Department measure that reduced wages for temporary agricultural workers on H-2A visas.
  • The ruling orders the Labor Department to promptly publish new wage rates and potentially pay retroactive wages to affected workers.
  • The lawsuit was filed by 18 farmworkers and the United Farm Workers (UFW), who argued the wage cuts harmed both temporary and U.S. domestic workers.

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. government illegally reduced the wages of temporary agricultural workers entering the country on H-2A visas during the Trump administration.

U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff declared "illegal" a measure announced last October by the Department of Labor (DOL). This measure had reduced the remuneration for workers under the temporary program, leading to wage cuts of up to $7 per hour in some states. The ruling mandates that the DOL promptly publish new wage rates and informs employers they may be liable for retroactive payments to affected workers.

Growers and this president do not care about us; they are happy to hire a new worker for less pay… I hope this judicial decision protects our wages and jobs here in the Yakima Valley for a long time.

— Crisanto SerranoA farmworker and plaintiff in the case, expressing his views on the wage cuts and the court's decision.

The lawsuit challenging the DOL's action was brought forth by 18 farmworkers and the United Farm Workers (UFW). They contended that the wage reduction "negatively" impacted the earnings and conditions of both foreign and domestic workers, thereby violating federal law. The White House had argued that the measure was a response to the labor impact on farmers resulting from immigration raids, estimating it would transfer $2.46 billion annually from workers to employers.

Crisanto Serrano, a farmworker and plaintiff in the case, stated that growers often prefer hiring foreign workers whom they can keep confined to their properties, even when local workers are available. "Growers and this president do not care about us; they are happy to hire a new worker for less pay... I hope this judicial decision protects our wages and jobs here in the Yakima Valley for a long time," he added. Teresa Romero, president of the UFW, acknowledged the ruling as an encouraging step but warned that attacks on farmworker wages would continue, vowing the union's ongoing fight.

if, while the ruling issued in a California court is an encouraging step, we know that attacks on farmworker wages will continue.

— Teresa RomeroPresident of the United Farm Workers, commenting on the court's decision and the union's future actions.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog