Page 26 - H 2a News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

So far i've been picking oranges for three hours. i can honestly tell you it does not get easier as the day goes on. for so-called unskilled labor, it's a lot tougher than it looks. that's two down. lots more to go. i'm not just the worst picker in the field today. i'm also the only american citizen. every single worker here with me today is a foreign citizen on an h-2a visa. but h-2a is unpopular with most employers. in fact, only 4% of businesses that can use it do so. riverfront packing is the largest grapefruit distributor in florida, and they don't participate in the program. >> we have a...

Of course, some people are taking these jobs. immigrant labors. there is maybe two ways that farms and citrus groves find workers. one way is the h-2a guest worker visa program, a sort of stopgap measure designed to get immigrant workers in the field without granting them permanent residency. it's neither a path to citizenship nor particularly popular with the agriculture industry. so that leaves undocumented immigrants. after surviving a dangerous border crossing, they take whatever jobs they can find and generally live life in the shadows to avoid being deported. most see the risk as the onl...

After an incredibly long day picking oranges, i can't wait to go to bed. but it's friday, and that's payday. so the bus makes a last stop at plaza mexico. plaza mexico is a one-stop shop for h-2a workers. it's a shopping center, and bank all rolled into one. this place is busy. how many guys come into and cash their checks? >> about 600. about 200 are from our company. >> okay. they wire money home as well? >> yeah. over there. sigue. >> how much do most guys send home? >> he would have to leave 50 for groceries and 20 for like laundry. >> guys usually will only keep

So far i've been picking oranges for three hours. i can honestly tell you it does not get easier as the day goes on. for so-called unskilled labor, it's a lot tougher than it looks. that's two down. lots more to go. i'm not just the worst picker in the field today. i'm also the only american citizen. every single worker here with me today is a foreign citizen on an h-2a visa. but h-2a is unpopular with most employers. in fact, only 4% of businesses that can use it do so. riverfront packing is the largest grapefruit distributor in florida, and they don't participate in the program. >> we have a...

>> so, guys, why did you decide to do the h-2a visas rather than come into the country illegally? [ speaking spanish ] >> how does the money compare here to the money you could make in mexico. like say this week you made $500. how long would it take you to make that in mexico? a month? >> yeah. >> so you can make a month's wages in one week? [ speaking spanish ] >> wow. you have family? you have a wife in mexico? an esposa? and hijos? how many? so you'll be here when the baby is born? >> yeah. >> is your wife mad? >> porque? [ speaking spanish ] >> yeah. how many tubbs do you think i'll be abl...