Newhouse: As immigration enforcement is being debated, now might be the time to fix H-2A

“Where I think it’s headed is to a solution... the agricultural industry needs and has needed for a long time.”

The back and forth on immigration enforcement has left many ag employers confused.

However, Congressman Dan Newhouse says that being an undocumented foreign guest worker on an American farm is against the law.

According to Newhouse, “As a member of Congress, I can’t tell federal agencies to, you know, ignore the law, right? That’s their job to enforce the law, but we can be smart about how we enforce it, and I think the President recognizes that.”

With so much discussion surrounding ag labor laws, the Congressman says that now might be the time to find a solution.

“As you can imagine, members of Congress are hearing from their farm employers around the country that this is a huge headache for them to have the workers not showing up because of their fear of being deported, and people recognize that we need these people, and so, we’re seeing this as an opportunity. The President, I think, is going to be very open to some of the ideas that we have to solve this problem once and for all. So, where I think it’s headed is to a solution, finally, for what agriculture, the agricultural industry needs and has needed for a long time.”

He adds that it now falls on Congress to find the right solution once and for all.

Related Stories
NASDA declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer. President Amanda Beal joins us to share NASDA’s new hub, which highlights the impact of women in agriculture worldwide.
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2026 agenda centers on labor stability, biosecurity, and economic resilience for family farms. Expanded DMC coverage improves risk protection for dairy operations facing tighter margins.
Agronomy experts explain why standing crop residue protects soil and reduces costs for crop growers, while shredding often yields little benefit at higher costs.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today unveiled a bold plan to protect the nation’s prime farm and ranchland from the rapid spread of data centers.
Secretary Rollins also met with specialty crop producers at a local strawberry farm to discuss workforce needs and the Trump Administration’s recent wins related to significantly cutting the cost of H-2A labor for California farmers.
China’s beef policy risk stems from domestic volatility, making export demand inherently unstable. Jake Charleston with Specialty Risk Insurance offers his perspective on cattle markets, risk management, and producer sentiment.