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Hard-line Republican lawmakers and conservative groups are criticizing a GOP-backed agricultural labor bill that would allow some undocumented farmworkers to obtain temporary legal status, arguing the measure amounts to amnesty.
The proposed legislation has highlighted a split within the Republican Party, with more conservative members wanting a tougher response to both legal and illegal immigration, with those who are more moderate likely wanting to find ways to help a voter base which largely votes Republican: farmers.
President Donald Trump, who at least twice in 2025 said he would look to help farmers worried about losing migrant workers, told reporters Tuesday that he was not aware of the legislation and would “look into it.”
What is the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act?
The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 was introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, a Pennsylvania Republican, alongside a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The bill would overhaul the H-2A agricultural guest worker program, which employers use to hire foreign workers when domestic labor is unavailable.
The bill would make some of the most significant changes to the H-2A visa program since its creation in 1986, expanding access for year-round agricultural employers such as dairy and livestock operations that have historically struggled to use the seasonal worker program. It would also allow H-2A labor certifications to remain valid for up to three years.
One of the bill’s most debated provisions would allow certain undocumented immigrants already employed in agriculture to apply for H-2A status.
The proposal would waive some past immigration violations tied to unauthorized agricultural employment, provided applicants otherwise qualify for the program. Supporters say the measure is designed to transition existing agricultural workers into a legal framework rather than create a pathway to citizenship.
A Republican Party Split
Nevertheless, the proposal has sparked backlash from immigration hard-liners within the GOP.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida told Newsweek she does not support “amnesty.”
She added: “My office handles many immigration related cases for people that are trying to do the right way. You can’t break the law and get a free pass. I am for a temporary pause on immigration till we reform the system. It is completely broken currently and largely due to the amount of people that are here illegally bogging down the system.”
Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wrote on X: “No amnesty! Amnesty is NOT what people voted for in 2024.”
The office of Representative Chip Roy of Texas posted on X: “No amnesty. Secure the border for good. More deportations.”
The House Freedom Caucus similarly posted a message on the platform saying, “No amnesty.”
The dispute highlights an emerging divide within Republican ranks between lawmakers prioritizing strict immigration enforcement and farm-state Republicans seeking labor reforms to address workforce shortages in agriculture. With opposition already mounting from conservative members, the bill’s prospects in Congress remain uncertain.
Does The Bill Offer Amnesty?
There are concerns among some conservatives that allowing undocumented workers to remain in the country under a legal work program would reward those who entered or remained in the United States unlawfully.
“I don’t think there is a standard definition of ‘amnesty.’ In one sense, because this bill would open the H-2A program to people currently in the United States without status, and would not require them to pay a fine or face other forms of sanctions, one could potentially call it an amnesty,” Julia Gelatt, associate director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, told Newsweek.
“But the word amnesty is more commonly applied to proposals that give unauthorized immigrants a path to legal permanent status in the United States, or a pathway to citizenship, which this bill does not do.”
The legislation has attracted support from dozens of House Republicans, reflecting a divide within the party between lawmakers focused on immigration enforcement and those representing agricultural states where farmers have argued that labor shortages threaten production.
Backers of the bill say the proposal is aimed at addressing labor shortages exacerbated by the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy that have challenged the U.S. agricultural sector.
Thompson argues the existing H-2A system is outdated and does not adequately meet the workforce needs of modern farms and ranches. The bill would expand access to the program for year-round agricultural employers, including dairy operations, while streamlining administrative requirements and reducing costs for producers.
Agricultural groups backing the legislation have argued that many farms already rely on undocumented workers because there are not enough domestic workers willing to fill available positions. They say bringing those workers into a legal temporary visa program would help stabilize the agricultural workforce and reduce disruptions to the food supply chain.
“A secure food supply depends on a secure, legal, and reliable workforce,” Brian Gannon, Vice President of Government Relations at LaborMex said in a press release. “America’s farmers need practical workforce solutions that recognize the realities of modern agriculture. This legislation represents a large step toward strengthening our food supply, supporting agricultural employers, providing lawful opportunities for seasonal workers, and ensuring consumers continue to benefit from a stable domestic food production system. We encourage Congress to move this legislation forward.”
Backers also say that the H-2A visa is a temporary, non-immigrant visa and that the bill does not create a direct pathway to U.S. citizenship. Thompson’s office has described the legislation as the first major statutory overhaul of the H-2A program in four decades.
“There is no greater national security threat than disruptions to our food supply,” Thompson said in a press release on June 30. “The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 makes the practical, commonsense reforms required to prevent these disruptions by providing a workforce that meets agriculture’s needs—now and in the future.”
The American Farm Bureau Federation said only 182 domestic applications were submitted for nearly 415,000 agricultural jobs advertised through the H-2A program in 2025.
When contacted for comment, the White House deferred questions about the legislation to the State Department.
A spokesperson for the department told Newsweek: “We generally do not comment on congressional correspondence. The Trump Administration is protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.”
Jeremy Beck, Co-President of NumbersUSA, which advocates for lower immigration levels, previously told Newsweek the legislation is “an amnesty for employers engaged in illegal hiring.”
He explained: “It allows hundreds of thousands of illegal workers to stay as long as they indenture themselves to the agricultural industry. Then the bill lowers workers’ wages and deducts the cost of housing from their paychecks.”
“It’s an ugly look for America, but a profitable one that will lower labor costs and limit workers’ opportunities to leave their employers. Cheap captive labor is a feature of large-scale guest worker programs. And if the bill passes, American agriculture will have even less incentive to mechanize. Other countries facing the same labor questions have modernized instead—we’d be choosing captivity over innovation.”
Will the Bill Pass?
The bill’s 51 House cosponsors include 47 Republicans and four Democrats. The House is currently made up of 218 Republicans, 212 Democrats and one independent, with four vacancies. If all cosponsors support the measure on the floor, the legislation would have enough votes to pass the chamber, assuming all members vote.
The bill’s path in the Senate remains uncertain. The chamber is currently made up of 100 senators, including 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with Democrats. While the proposal has attracted significant Republican support in the House, it remains unclear whether it would secure the votes needed to advance in the Senate.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Dan Gooding, Matthew Robinson and Cristina Diciu.
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