A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully changed the H-2A agricultural worker visa program in ways that reduced wages for foreign farmworkers and could suppress wages for U.S. workers. The changes altered how employers' required wage rates were calculated and also allowed employers to deduct certain housing costs from workers' pay. The lawsuit was brought by the United Farm Workers union and other plaintiffs, who argued that the Labor Department had not properly followed the rulemaking process. The decision is significant for labor relations because immigration policy and agricultural labor standards directly affect both farmworkers' wages and employers' access to labor.
See "U.S. judge orders Trump administration to redo changes to farmworker visa program", Daniel Wiessner, Reuters, August 28, 2026