"to the consulate in Monterrey, an industrial epicenter in the northeastern state of Nuevo León. Like millions of Mexican workers who came before her, Isabella's consulate visit in 2020 was the final hurdle before the U.S. government granted what felt like a small miracle: a coveted H-2A visa that allows workers, the vast majority of whom are from Mexico, to traverse the border for lawful employment in the U.S. as seasonal agricultural workers."
"Prior to President Donald Trump's second term, American employers could request workers from 86 eligible countries as part of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program. However, from 2018 to 2023, 92% of workers were from Mexico, where more H-2A visas are processed in Monterrey than anywhere else in the world. "I thought, I'll migrate too, for the American dream and to have something better," explained Isabella, who is using a pseudonym for fear of retribution."
"In Mexico, an estimated 35.9% of women live in " labor poverty," meaning they earn too little to cover basic food needs. Women in Mexico are also chronically underemployed, with just 45.4% of women considered "economically active" in the labor market, Mexico Business News reported. These conditions could worsen due to Trump's tariffs, which are expected to jeopardize over 4.1 million jobs in Mexico, hitting manufacturing, agriculture, and mining the hardest."
Isabella traveled more than 12 hours within Mexico to obtain an H-2A visa that permits seasonal agricultural work in the United States. Between 2018 and 2023, 92% of H-2A workers came from Mexico, and Monterrey processes more H-2A visas than any other location. Mexican women face high rates of labor poverty (35.9%) and low labor-market participation (45.4%), and many are chronically underemployed. U.S. tariffs threaten over 4.1 million Mexican jobs across manufacturing, agriculture, and mining. Recruitment into the H-2A program often involves illegal and costly practices that burden workers.
Read at Truthout
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