Staff Reports
A nursery in Florida was accused of hiring workers from other countries instead of Americans for agricultural work in Georgia.
A judge ruled last month that the Department of Labor had the authority to investigate Pure Beauty Farm Inc. and ordered it to pay almost $200,000 in back wages and fines.
The agency found that Pure Beauty Farm Inc. used a preference system for foreign workers when it came to hiring for agricultural positions.
The nursery had reportedly asked 29 potential American employees to provide proof that they had experience working in the industry. This was not required by the company when it came to hiring foreign workers.
The agency also accused the nursery of violating housing regulations for foreign workers through the H-2A program. It reportedly housed the workers in small spaces that were filled with debris and mold.
Despite the violations, the agency decided not to prevent the nursery from continuing to use the H-2A program. It allowed the company to continue hiring foreign workers.
The H-2A program allows foreign workers to work in the US for up to three years. They can also extend their stay if they are authorized to do so. The H-4 visa allows the spouses and children of H2A visa holders to come to the country.
For years now, the conservative news outlet has been reporting on the ways the H-2A program has been used to replace American workers.
In 1997, around 16,000 foreign workers with H-2A visas were brought to the US to compete for jobs in the agricultural industry. By 2021, the number of foreign workers in the country had reached a record 258,000.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Bearded Patriot
