Fearful Farmers Rush To Find 'Guest Workers'

Dan Fazio says his phone is "ringing off the hook" these days.

He's executive director of WAFLA, an organization that helps fruit growers in Washington state find workers — and specifically, foreign workers who are allowed to enter the U.S. specifically as seasonal workers on farms.

WAFLA takes care of the bureaucratic details. It applies for permission from the Department of Labor to bring in workers for specific jobs. It certifies that it has looked for U.S. citizens to do these jobs and can't find them. Then it locates people in places like Mexico, or Central America. These "guest workers" get a special visa, called an H-2A visa, that lets them stay in the country temporarily, usually for no more than 10 months. WAFLA brings them by bus to the fields and orchards of Washington.

"This year, we'll get labor certifications for over 10,000 workers," Fazio says.

Interest in WAFLA's services is surging for two different reasons. There's a shortage of farm workers across the country. But more recently, it's also been driven by fear of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

"We haven't seen any raids, but we have seen the paranoia," says Fazio. "A government vehicle drives by a farm, and all the farm workers run away."

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