Health problems of tamaulipas's farm workers employed with h-2a visas in the United States

Abstract

From two decades ago Tamaulipas' farm workers have received a large amount of H-2A visas to work in thefarming sector. U.S. farmers find it appealing to hire Tamaulipas' workers because of the proximity ofTamaulipas to the frontier, which lowers transportation costs, which have to be paid by the employers. It iswell reported that low-skilled guest worker programs leaves foreign workforce open to abuse andexploitation. Poor compliance with federal regulations like the Worker Protection Standard and WorkersCompensation Insurance increases the risk of pesticide poisoning and injuries among agricultural workers,and those who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses forgo needed medical care. This paper examines thehealth problems suffered by Tamaulipas's H-2A workers employed in U.S. agriculture.