Our team at LAJC has been fighting back against labor traffickers in Virginia for decades, helping workers reclaim what they are owed and holding employers accountable.  Workers here on H-2A visas, which allow people from other countries to work in U.S. agricultural industries, are often targeted. Despite having a contract that specifies pay rate, hours to be worked, housing, and more, these workers can end up in horrific situations.

When H-2A workers employed by the Las Princesas labor contracting company came to us with stories of abuse, including workers’ passports being confiscated (and in some cases never returned), threats of dismissal or deportation for speaking with anyone outside of the Las Princesas organization, substandard housing, inadequate meals, and illegal recruitment fees, we took action.

We brought their employer to court, and with the worker’s help, secured a favorable settlement. Now, each of the more than 350 workers involved in Las Princesas’ brutal scheme is eligible to receive compensation for their labor and mistreatment, and the company is now barred from using the H-2A visa system.  

You can read more about this case in a Virginia Pilot article, here. 

This is just one of the many cases of labor trafficking and worker exploitation that LAJC has fought to bring justice for workers,. We will continue to partner with workers across the state to advocate for stronger oversight and enforcement of work visa program regulations.