Lawsuit Accuses Louisiana Sugar Firms of H-2A Abuses
A former worker alleges Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative and Lasuca Farm misused foreign labor visas and withheld overtime pay.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Immigration
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Jose Luis Mojica Alonso filed a lawsuit on October 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative Inc. and Lasuca Farm LLC. The complaint alleges the defendants violated federal immigration and labor law by employing H-2A workers in non-agricultural jobs and never paying them overtime wages.
Why it matters
The complaint alleges the companies misrepresented foreign workers' duties to obtain visas, potentially depriving U.S. workers of jobs and allowing illegally low wages. The case tests whether temporary agricultural visa programs are being used for non-farm work at Louisiana sugar operations.
The 27-page complaint was filed October 16 in the Eastern District of Louisiana and remains an unresolved civil action with no ruling reported. The allegations that the companies lied under oath to obtain visas are claims made by the plaintiff and have not been adjudicated.
The players
Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative Inc.
A St. Martinville, Louisiana-based sugar cooperative named as a defendant, which wholly owns and controls Lasuca Farm LLC.
Lasuca Farm LLC
A St. Martinville, Louisiana-based farm company named as a defendant in the complaint, operating the sugar mill and related businesses where foreign workers were employed.
The details
According to the complaint, the defendants employed foreign workers at a sugar mill and associated trucking and mechanic shops as truck drivers, mechanics, welders, cooks and kitchen workers, while allegedly claiming the workers would harvest sugarcane. Alonso says he worked for the companies on H-2B and later H-2A visas from 2006 forward and was employed as a mechanic, maintenance worker and water tester through 2026.
Timeline
2006 through 2017: Alonso worked for LASUCA on H-2B visas as a mechanic and machine maintenance worker.
2017 forward: Alonso worked for LFL on H-2A visas.
October 16: Alonso filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Legal Context
The case centers on the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program, which permits foreign labor only for farm work under federal immigration law. Its outcome could clarify how strictly courts enforce the program's job-classification rules against sugar-industry employers.
Louisiana employers relying on temporary foreign agricultural visas face scrutiny over whether workers are placed in permitted jobs. Workers hired under these programs may be entitled to overtime pay, and the case highlights how wage rules apply to them.
The takeaway
Temporary foreign worker programs depend on accurate job descriptions, so disputes over job classification can expose both employers and workers to legal risk. Workers who believe they are owed overtime can document hours and consult labor counsel.
Further reading
For related coverage of visa-based labor, see Immigration news for Louisiana.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Legal Newsline.
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