Operation Blooming Onion Uncovers Modern-Day Slavery Allegations in U.S. H-2A Visa Farmworker Program

In the US, the H-2A visa program is intended to offer a mutually beneficial solution: foreign farmworkers secure employment opportunities, while American farms address their labor needs without resorting to undocumented workers. However, an extensive federal investigation codenamed Operation Blooming Onion has unveiled rampant abuses of these workers across Georgia, encompassing wage theft, sexual exploitation, and conditions akin to modern-day slavery according to one judge’s assessment.

Robin Young, host of Here & Now, recently interviewed ProPublica reporter Max Blau about this issue, which was initially reported on WBUR.org.