Farmers Seek Legal Path for Migrant Workers

Susquehanna Valley growers say migrant labor is essential to local agriculture as immigration enforcement affects their workforce.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Immigration

Farmers Seek Legal Path for Migrant Workers

Live Poll

Should immigration enforcement be scaled back for local farms that rely on migrant workers?

Susquehanna Valley farmers in Pennsylvania report that migrant workers are vital to local agriculture, and that ICE has detained employees. Farmers are seeking solutions that would allow migrant workers to work legally.

Why it matters

Labor accounts for over 40% of farm expenses for the year, so workforce disruptions carry direct financial consequences for growers. Democrats preparing to take control of Congress plan to investigate President Donald Trump's immigration policies, including ICE spending.

Labor accounts for over 40% of farm expenses for the year, underscoring how central the workforce is to farm budgets. The Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, would modify the H-2 temporary agricultural worker program, but its outcome remains undetermined.

The players

Joe Smucker

Joe Smucker is a poultry farmer at Smucker Farms in the Susquehanna Valley who has spoken about the role of migrant labor in agriculture.

Sarah Zost

Sarah Zost is president of the State Horticulture Association of Pennsylvania and a fruit grower advocating for workforce policy change at the local and national levels.

The details

Joe Smucker, a poultry farmer at Smucker Farms, and Sarah Zost, president of the State Horticulture Association of Pennsylvania and a fruit grower, describe migrant workers as central to their operations. Farmers say the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program offers a legal and reliable workforce but carries significant administrative burdens, high costs, and set wage requirements.

November 6, 2026: Article published on farmers and migrant workers in the Susquehanna Valley.

Roadmap

Farmers in Pennsylvania rely on the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program, which provides a legal workforce but carries heavy administrative costs. The Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act would modify that program, and growers like Sarah Zost are advocating for change both locally and nationally.

Pennsylvania growers who depend on migrant labor face higher costs and workforce uncertainty under current rules. Farm operators and workers alike will be affected by any changes to how the H-2A program is administered or funded.

The takeaway

Labor is a major share of farm costs, so workforce policy directly shapes whether Pennsylvania growers can keep operating. Watching how the H-2A program and proposed legislation evolve will show whether a workable legal path emerges.