Senator Ossoff Leads Effort to Protect Georgia Farmworkers from Human Rights Abuses and Human Trafficking

Press Release

US Senator Jon Ossoff is leading an effort to expose human rights abuses and protect farmworkers in Georgia.

In a letter today , Senator Ossoff urged the Biden Administration to take urgent action to ensure that farmworkers under the H-2A visa program are protected from the abuses that result in modern day slavery.

Last year,
a federal investigation
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dubbed Operation Blooming Onion uncovered serious human rights abuses and poor working conditions stemming from abuses of power by labor contractors who abuse the H-2A visa program.

In the cases uncovered by the investigation, migrant farm workers were forced to endure unsafe, inhumane, and dangerous working and living conditions for fear of deportation.

"Farmworkers play a critical role in maintaining our nation's food supply, but they continue to be subject to exploitation and abuse through the H-2A visa program and criminals across the country who use it fraudulently. to enrich themselves and deprive guest workers of basic human rights.

We must act now to protect the human rights of all people in our territory," Senator Ossoff wrote.

According to the federal investigation and
The Savannah Morning News
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, "24 conspirators obtained more than $200 million over three years from the illegal scheme, which involved laundering funds through cash purchases of land, homes, vehicles, and businesses, and through cash purchases via cashier's checks. "

In some cases, workers in Georgia were only paid 20 cents for every bucket harvested, while being threatened with violence and deportation. Workers were held in fenced labor camps with little or no food, limited plumbing, and no drinking water.

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