The H-2B program - - a program under which employers can bring in temporary and seasonal workers from other countries - - is deeply harmful to both the workers working under the visas, and to U.S. workers. Until this program undergoes major reform - - such as a more transparent recruitment process, a meaningful way for workers to enforce promises made to them by employers, access to legal services and receive fair prevailing wages - - Congress should not vote to extend or expand any exemptions that would increase the number of H-2B visas beyond the current cap.

We applaud the House Subcommittee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren for holding a hearing to examine the H-2B seasonal guest worker program. The abuses within the H-2B program typically start long before the worker has arrived in the United States, with recruiters commanding high fees and making false promises about wages, working conditions and location and length of employment. Once the workers arrive in the U.S. they can’t enforce the most basic labor protections and often face deportation, blacklisting or other forms of retaliation. Many employers find guest workers advantageous precisely because they will work for far lower wages and benefits than other U.S. workers.

Better enforcement of labor standards for H-2B seasonal guest workers will not only help deter abuses of foreign workers, but will protect the wages and benefits offered to American workers, who often compete for the same jobs.

We can no longer afford to grow the H-2B program without addressing the myriad of well-documented problems associated with it. For this reason we applaud Chairwoman Lofgren’s efforts to hold a formal hearing before blindly accepting legislative proposals that would simply increase the numbers of available H-2B visas.

Contact: Lauren Mendoza (202) 637-5018