Invisible Hands, Visible Burden: The Challenges of Undocumented Latinx Farmworkers

By: Mykalee McGowan
Edited by: Onyx Ramírez
This blog post contains the personal opinions and reflections of the author and is not representative of the voice of the organization.

Photo: Tim Mossholder, Unsplash

By Mykalee McGowan, Communications Associate at Black Farmer Fund

When one thinks of American agriculture, images of bountiful harvests and picturesque farms often come to mind. However, there’s an invisible workforce that plays a critical role in keeping our food supply flowing - undocumented farmworkers. Their tireless efforts contribute significantly to the nation’s food security. 

Despite their invaluable contributions, Latinx farmworkers face a unique set of challenges that often go unnoticed. Here are four significant hurdles they encounter. 

1. Wage Theft and Labor Exploitation

Due to their status, undocumented farmworkers are not protected by the U.S. labor laws, making them more prone to wage theft and employer exploitation. 

According to a 2019 Labor Economics study, the average wage gap between undocumented and documented immigrants is over 35 percent (Borjas & Cassidy, 2019). They do not receive employee benefits such as sick leave, paid vacation, or health insurance. Despite the seasonal nature of farmwork, they are also not eligible for unemployment benefits as many agricultural employers are federally exempt from unemployment taxes.

While the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program provides temporary visas for immigrant farmworkers, the process is arduous and expensive, and it only protects around four percent of the farmworker population (Moriarty, 2022).

2. Unsafe Working Conditions

Farmwork is a physically intensive and risky profession. However, immigrants are disproportionately employed in sectors and have a heightened risk of workplace hazards. 

Research shows that they experience 300 more fatalities and 61,000 more injuries annually than their native-born counterparts, making them extremely susceptible to these dangers (Andrea, 2020).

Undocumented farmworkers have also experienced high rates of COVID-19 infections since the beginning of the pandemic. While they are essential workers, not all agricultural employers enforce a COVID-19 protocol such as masking and social distancing. Also, workers may be deterred from reporting COVID-19 safety concerns and other workplace violations for fear of retaliation or discrimination.

3. Sexual Harassment and Violence

Immigrant women, who make up 24 percent of the agricultural workforce, are very vulnerable to sexual harassment and assault in the workplace (Meng, 2024). 

In a report by Human Rights Watch, many undocumented women have faced sexual harassment, violence, and discrimination due to unbalanced power dynamics, coercion, and threats of deportation or job termination

4. Limited Access to Healthcare

Immigrant farmworkers face a multitude of barriers when it comes to healthcare resources.

According to a 2021 report by Johns Hopkins University, research shows that 41 percent of farmworkers did not use U.S. health care services in the last two years, compared to 16.8 percent of the general population (Goldman et al., 2021). 

A few reasons include little to no health insurance, transportation access, no time to take off work, language barriers, fear of deportation or retaliation, and mistrust in the U.S. Healthcare system. 

While we've highlighted four key challenges faced by undocumented farmworkers, their experiences are multifaceted. Issues such as limited educational opportunities, lack of legal counsel, mental health concerns, and the constant fear of deportation also significantly impact their lives.

How to Support:

We must acknowledge the crucial role undocumented farmworkers communities play in sustaining our food system. It is imperative for us to advocate for policies and resources that protect and support their well-being and livelihood. Luckily, there are many organizations working tirelessly to provide aid, cultivate resources, advocate for policy changes, and empower Latinx farmworkers. Here are a few that offer vital support:

  • C.A.T.A: Educate and support farmworkers on workers’ rights, health and safety in the workplace, immigrant's rights, and food justice.

  • National Immigration Forum: Advocates for policy changes immigration reform and workforce needs.

  • United Farm Workers: A labor union representing farmworkers.

By supporting these organizations and spreading the word, you can help ensure that undocumented Latinx farmworkers have the tools they need to thrive.

Sources:

Andrea, G. Q. J. (2020). Workplace Discrimination and Undocumented First-Generation Latinx Immigrants. KnowledgeUChicago. https://doi.org/10.6082/uchicago.7306

Borjas, G. J., & Cassidy, H. (2019). The wage penalty to undocumented immigration. Labour Economics, 61, 101757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2019.101757

Costa, D. (2021, July 20). The farmworker wage gap continued in 2020. Working Economics Blog. Retrieved September 8, 2024, from https://www.epi.org/blog/the-farmworker-wage-gap-continued-in-2020-farmworkers-and-h-2a-workers-earned-very-low-wages-during-the-pandemic-even-compared-with-other-low-wage-workers/#:~:text=Although%20the%20AEWR%20varies%20by,lift%20many%20out%20of%20poverty

Farmworker Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved September 8, 2024, from https://farmworkerjustice.org/en

Goldman, S., Aspenson, A., Bhatnagar, P., Martin, R., & Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. (2021). Farmworkers are Essential Workers: COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on US Farmworkers. In L. J. Beyranevand & L. S. Nelson (Eds.), Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.

Immigrant farmworkers and America’s Food Production - 5 things to know. (n.d.). FWD.us. https://www.fwd.us/news/immigrant-farmworkers-and-americas-food-production-5-things-to-know/

Meng, G. (2024). Cultivating Fear. In Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/report/2012/05/15/cultivating-fear/vulnerability-immigrant-farmworkers-us-sexual-violence-and

National Immigration Forum. (n.d.). National Immigration Forum. Retrieved September 8, 2024, from https://forumtogether.org/

National Immigration Forum, & Castellanos-Canales, A. (2021, July 21). Forum Statement for the record - “Immigrant farmworkers are essential to feeding America” - National Immigration Forum [Online forum post]. National Immigration Forum. Retrieved September 8, 2024, from https://immigrationforum.org/article/forum-statement-for-the-record-immigrant-farmworkers-are-essential-to-feeding-america/#_ftnref11

NILC. (n.d.). The National Immigration Law Center: home. Retrieved September 20, 2024, from https://www.nilc.org/

Orrenius, P. M., & Zavodny, M. (2009). Do immigrants work in riskier jobs? Demography, 46(3), 535–551. https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.0.0064

Perez-Lua, F. M., Chan-Golston, A. M., Burke, N. J., & De Trinidad Young, M. (2023). The influence of organizational aspects of the U.S. agricultural industry and socioeconomic and political conditions on farmworkers’ COVID-19 workplace safety. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(23), 7138. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20237138

Robinson, E., Nguyen, H. T., Isom, S., Quandt, S. A., Grzywacz, J. G., Chen, H., & Arcury, T. A. (2011). Wages, wage violations, and pesticide safety experienced by migrant farmworkers in North Carolina. NEW SOLUTIONS a Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy, 21(2), 251–268. https://doi.org/10.2190/ns.21.2.h

Support immigrant workers rights & food justice. (2020). CATA Farmworkers. Retrieved September 11, 2024, from https://www.cata-farmworkers.org/

Svajlenka, N. (2020). Protecting undocumented workers on the pandemic’s front lines. In Center for American Progress. Center for American Progress. Retrieved September 10, 2024, from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/protecting-undocumented-workers-pandemics-front-lines-2/

UFW Foundation. (2025, September 11). Home • UFW Foundation. https://ufwfoundation.org/

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