H‑2A’s Enforcement Capacity Crisis

GAO found violations in 84% of H‑2A investigations while the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division is at historically low investigator staffing. With forecasts of up to 500,000 H‑2A workers by 2030, abuse is likely to scale unless Congress boosts enforcement resources. — It shows how administrative capacity, not just rules on paper, determines whether immigration‑labor programs protect workers or enable exploitation.