California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined 18 attorneys general from across the United States in submitting a comment letter opposing a proposed rule by the Trump Administration that would rescind most of the 2024 Final Rule designed to protect temporary agricultural workers under the H-2A visa program.
The Trump Administration’s proposed changes argue that the previous rule placed unnecessary and costly requirements on employers. However, according to Bonta and his colleagues, rolling back these regulations would endanger key rights and safety measures for hundreds of thousands of H-2A farmworkers nationwide.
“Agricultural workers are the backbone of America’s food system, yet this proposed rule strips away critical safeguards and protections for workers, from anti-retaliation measures to basic housing rights,” said Attorney General Bonta. “These changes do not serve the interests of American agriculture — they serve the interests of those who profit from vulnerable labor. No worker should be vulnerable to exploitation, unsafe conditions, or unjust termination. Alongside attorneys general nationwide, we urge the Trump Administration to reverse course immediately.”
The 2024 Final Rule issued by the Biden Administration’s Department of Labor had introduced new protections for H-2A workers. These included expanded anti-retaliation rights and greater access to legal counsel, aiming to prevent abuse and ensure compliance among employers.
In their letter, Bonta and other attorneys general state that rescinding these protections could weaken wage transparency standards and remove important safeguards against retaliation. They also warn that such changes could negatively affect employer compliance with H-2A requirements and undermine reliability in hiring practices within agriculture. The coalition believes this may lead to labor shortages, increased costs, and operational disruptions for farms.
Bonta is joined by attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Rhode Island in filing this opposition.
A copy of the comment letter can be found here.
