The Trump administration had claimed that reducing wages for foreign guest workers would help U.S. farmers cut costs, especially in light of stricter immigration policies. The goal was to provide farmers with access to more affordable labor.
On August 26, 2026, a federal judge in California determined that the policy of lowering wages for migrant farmworkers was illegal. This decision comes as a response to the administration’s approach, which sought to align agricultural labor costs with its broader immigration strategies.