CRLAF and fellow plaintiffs contend that the administration failed to follow proper rulemaking procedures and ignored clear evidence of the harm these changes would cause. The complaint seeks to block the rule and preserve fair wage standards for agricultural workers nationwide.

Our lawsuit argues the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, a key protection meant to prevent wage suppression for both domestic farmworkers & H-2A workers, was unlawfully altered. By lowering & freezing wages, the rule threatens to push some of the lowest-paid workers in the country even deeper into poverty.

“It’s especially troubling because it means workers aren’t being protected,” says Anne Katten, Director of CRLAF’s Pesticide & Work Health and Safety Project. She and other advocates argue that stronger, coordinated enforcement is urgently needed to keep workers safe and healthy.

According to medical experts, exposure to pesticides & laboring in extreme heat can cause more pronounced long-term effects on the neurological system and vital organs of younger laborers. Sadly, potential health incidents often go unreported as workers fear employer retaliation.

Stories from underage farm laborers paint a disturbing picture: headaches, dizziness, rashes, and respiratory distress are common after working in fields where pesticides are sprayed.

With only one safety inspection for every 146 pesticide applications in key agricultural counties, and businesses paying no fine for 48% of pesticide safety violations documented from January 2018 through March of 2024, enforcement is minimal.

If you’re passionate about legal advocacy, fundraising, and making a difference in California’s farmworker and low-wage worker communities, we’d love to hear from you.

In California’s rural and farmworker communities, online speech can carry real-world consequences. Use the tips in this carousel to help reduce risks and protect your account security, privacy, and personal safety.
Additional resources: @csnp.bsky.social www.instagram.com/cybersecuritygirl/

These tools matter deeply to those who live with uncertainty and limited legal protections. They raise concerns about privacy, the lack of due process, and who will ultimately become subject to this digital surveillance.

This surveillance expands enforcement into social media spaces used by millions of people every day, increasing the risk that digital activity will be flagged for investigation and even trigger deportation raids.

CRLAF joins @ufw.bsky.social @ufwfoundation.bsky.social in condemning this attack on farmworker livelihoods. We will continue to use the power of law to fight for fair wages, dignity, and justice for every worker.

This policy will have a devastating impact on California’s rural communities, lowering pay below minimum wage for many of the people who harvest our food. It also expands the H-2A program to non-agricultural jobs, threatening wages and job security across various industries.

For low-income, immigrant families in CA, including farmworker communities that already face tight margins, any disruption in food assistance can unravel the fragile stability they have. It means difficult choices between affording to pay for groceries, rent, & other necessities.

(2) Bonta continues, “The vast majority of SNAP recipients are families with kids, elderly individuals and people with disabilities. These are our most vulnerable. Societies should be judged on how we treat the most vulnerable.”

(1) These benefits are fully funded by federal appropriations, paid by taxpayers, and intended to ensure basic nutrition regardless of political gridlock. “It is deliberate. It is intentional. They have the funds. They’re just not using them,” says Attorney General Rob Bonta.

California and 23 other states are suing the White House to restore public benefits before 40 million Americans are set to lose access to federal food aid as the government shutdown enters its fourth week.

When enforcement becomes more data-driven and less transparent, those with fewer resources are less able to contest decisions or navigate appeals. Due process becomes harder to exercise when outcomes are generated by software rather than judges or lawyers.

For labor communities with mixed-status households employed in seasonal or unstable positions, such automated decision-making raises concern about accountability for mistakes made by algorithms rather than people.

Critics warn that this platform and continued technology advances in extensive data collection increases the risk of bias and removes human oversight from life-altering decisions.