WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho has joined a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers calling on federal agencies to make administrative changes to the H-2A agricultural guest worker program, saying reforms are needed to better support farmers, ranchers and dairy producers facing workforce shortages and economic challenges.
In a letter sent to the U.S. Departments of Labor, State and Homeland Security, Crapo and 17 other members of Congress urged the agencies to address processing delays, regulatory gaps and structural barriers that they say have made the program less effective for agricultural employers. The lawmakers contend the H-2A program has not kept pace with growing demand for seasonal and agricultural labor.
“The H-2A program is indispensable to agriculture across the United States, from specialty crop operations to livestock and dairy producers,” the lawmakers wrote. They added that processing delays and broader immigration challenges threaten the program’s effectiveness at a time when producers are already facing difficult economic conditions.
Among the recommendations, lawmakers are asking federal agencies to extend H-2A eligibility to year-round livestock, dairy, poultry and swine operations, which currently cannot use the program despite being considered agricultural employers under federal law. They also propose expanding the application filing window from 60-75 days to 120 days before a worker’s start date and creating an expedited processing track for employers and workers with a proven record of compliance and reliability.
The letter was led by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi and signed by five additional U.S. senators, including Crapo, along with 12 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The effort has received endorsements from more than 20 agricultural organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council, American Soybean Association, Western Growers and the International Fresh Produce Association.
