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
Restored base acres strengthen cotton risk protection.
Britt Hilton with the Oklahoma Farm Bureau joined us to discuss current conditions, producer impacts, and the road to recovery following the Ranger Road Fire.
The closure of Lubbock Feeders highlights mounting pressure on the U.S. cattle supply, according to the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, as border restrictions and costs strain feedyards.
From projected drops in input costs to biofuel expansion and the USDA’s new “One Farmer, One File” initiative, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins shared key policy priorities at Commodity Classic that put farm issues back in the spotlight.
NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart discussed the legal process behind delisting the prairie chicken, the challenges ranchers faced under the bird’s previous protections, and the benefits of cooperative habitat management for both livestock and wildlife.
U.S.-Mexico agricultural trade faces uncertainty in 2026 as tariffs and cartel violence threaten farmers and ranchers. Congressman Henry Cuellar and Texas leaders weigh in on impacts and risks.