Immigration
The debate over immigration and ag labor reform has been a political hot potato for decades now and has led to inaction by Congress, but leaders of the House and Senate Ag Committees say they are making it a priority for 2026.
Federal government will cut the bureaucracy to support the dairy industry, focused on tougher measures to stop major animal disease problems and improve labor availability.
Labor costs continue to rise for California farmers, but skilled labor isn’t something growers are able to find with the current H-2A program. Labor experts, economists and farmers agree the current immigration system is “broken,” but a solution could be on the horizon.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says the administration plans to announce some updates soon to make the guestworker program more efficient and easier to use.
After a week of ICE seemingly targeting dairy farms, California produce farms and a meat packing plant in Nebraska, President Donald Trump is reportedly ordering the Department of Homeland Security to exclude farms from immigration raids.
Since being confirmed on Feb. 13, Secretary Rollins has been in the Washington D.C., USDA office for a few hours. Most of her time has been spent visiting farmers, ranchers and ag businesses in Kentucky, Kansas and at Top Producer Summit.
President Trump’s focus on mass deportation is creating a sense of nervousness that hasn’t been felt since the Obama Administration. Yet, the bigger concern is a H-2A system that’s become too costly for many farmers to use.
As labor shortages in the ag industry persist, it’s a good idea to brush up on your knowledge of the H-2A and H-2B programs.
Register for this upcoming ARA webinar to understand the in’s and out’s of both the H-2A and H-2B programs for employers.
As Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president, he’s not expected to impose China-specific tariffs on his first day in office, signaling a strategic shift toward engagement with Beijing rather than reigniting a trade war.
Nearly half of all farmworkers are undocumented, and industries such as dairy and meatpacking plants are especially vulnerable to labor shortages.
The decision was made by U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, who found the rule unconstitutional because it conflicted with the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by granting collective bargaining rights to farmworkers.
The decision was made by U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, who found the rule unconstitutional because it conflicted with the National Labor Relations Act by granting collective bargaining rights to farmworkers.
U.S. farmers, especially in specialty crop and livestock operations, continue to struggle to find enough workers. As of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, 15 percent fewer farms reported using hired labor compared to 2017.
Ron DeSantis, candidate for 2024 Republican presidential nomination and current Florida governor, joined Chip Flory on AgriTalk to share his motivation to be president and plans for agriculture if elected.
The debate over immigration continues to be an issue in Washington. However, the Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows economists are still skeptical it’s enough for Congress to act on immigration reform.
Mexican President López Obrador hosted President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau this week to discuss everything from methane reduction to the U.S./Mexico border wall.
The president of the American Farm Bureau Federation weighs in on immigration reform and year-round work permits, Waters of the U.S. concerns and support for the new Climate-Smart Commodities Program.
More than 60 ag groups telling the Biden Administration on Monday the nearly 7,000 South African farm workers should be exempted from restrictions related to the Omicron variant.
AgriTalk’s Chip Flory and Pro Farmer’s Jim Wiesemeyer discuss the situation at the southern border with Haitians, the latest on the battle over the infrastructure bills and more.
President Trump brought his fight to build a border wall to the 100th Annual Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual meeting in New Orleans, La. on Monday.
On Wednesday, 34 Republicans joined 226 Democrats passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 5038).
President Donald Trump has once again turned to tariffs to try to get his way with a U.S. trading partner.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a quick and easy checklist tool to aide in the H-2A Agricultural Guest Worker Visa Program process.