The H-2A program has allowed foreign workers to fill agricultural jobs on a temporary basis for decades.
But intense immigration enforcement is instilling fear and anxiety among those workers, even though they're in the U.S. legally.
Farmers, as a result, are worried that it'll be tough to fill labor shortages in an industry already hamstrung for upcoming harvests.
A large share of the agricultural workforce is made up of people not authorized to be in the U.S. legally.
As President Donald Trump carries out his mass deportation campaign, he is touting the H-2A program as a way to bring in more authorized labor.
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To help with that effort, the federal government recently streamlined parts of the H-2A application process, which many employers describe as outdated and onerous. One of the changes included allowing electronic filing of documents.
However, those in the agriculture industry say they're now having to work against hesitancy within the workforce amid a contentious political environment.
Chris Ball is the CEO of másLabor, a company that helps farmers recruit workers from abroad.
"Our clients are telling us that those ICE agents are stopping those workers, and they're nervous about being here," said Ball.
Ball said they're having to reassure people that the H-2A program is a legal pathway to work in the U.S.
Agriculture industry reliant on H-2A program
The H-2A visa program has only grown more popular over the years. Between 2017 and 2022, the number of certified workers grew by about 65%.
"Most of our clients would prefer to hire U.S. workers, but they can’t," said Ball. "These are hard jobs. They're in a field, they're working in the summertime, it's hot ... they might get one to two applications for like 50 jobs."
One of the requirements for hiring through the H-2A program is that employers must demonstrate "that efforts to recruit U.S. workers were not successful."
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Ball also noted that employers are required to pay workers the same rate as their U.S. counterparts, dispelling the idea that guest workers are "taking away American jobs because they're less expensive."
In fact, Ball said, it's more costly to participate in the H-2A program since, in some cases, farmers have to pay for workers' housing and living expenses as well.
Each job petition can range from between $3,000 to $5,000.
At the same time, investigations have found that the H-2A visa program can be rife with abuse, from employers illegally denying jobs to American workers to stealing guest workers' pay.
Economic consequences for Florida
Florida's agriculture industry, in particular, relies heavily on the H-2A visa program. According to the most recent data available, in FY2023, the state topped the nation when it came to the number of H-2A visa applications.
Out of the 378,000 jobs certified that year, 51,987 came from Florida.
It's partly because of the state's booming agriculture industry, and also due to Florida's stiff penalties for hiring undocumented labor, said Ball.
Florida is among a handful of states that require all or most businesses to verify the employment eligibility of their workers through the federal E-Verify system.
In 2023, as part of a comprehensive immigration bill, the state expanded E-Verify requirements to private businesses with more than 25 employees.
Ball said the hesitancy among workers extends to other visa programs as well, such as the H-2B, which hires temporary workers in non-agricultural industries, such as hospitality and construction.
"It's universal, the question of, 'Am I going to come to the U.S. and get sent back home by ICE?'" said Ball.
