Florida governor Ron DeSantis criticised a proposed House agriculture bill, saying it would grant “amnesty” to undocumented immigrants working on US farms and go against what Americans voted for in the 2024 presidential election. DeSantis wrote on X, “No amnesty! Amnesty is NOT what people voted for in 2024!” He responded to a post claiming a new House agriculture bill would allow certain undocumented immigrants with a history of farm work to remain in the United States if it becomes law.

The row centres on HR 9535, the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026, introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson on June 30. The bipartisan legislation aims to modernise the H-2A agricultural guest worker programme, which has not undergone major statutory reform in four decades.

Details of Bill

The legislation seeks to address labour shortages that American farmers say have become one of the biggest challenges facing the agriculture sector. It proposes changes to the H-2A visa programme by expanding access for year-round agricultural operations, reducing administrative costs and simplifying the hiring process for employers.

The provision drawing the most criticism relates to undocumented agricultural workers already living in the United States. According to the bill, some workers who meet employment and eligibility requirements could apply for temporary legal work status instead of leaving the country immediately. The bill states that H-2A remains a temporary non-immigrant visa programme and does not change existing citizenship rules.

Thompson defended the legislation when introducing it. “It’s time to bring the H-2A program into the 21st century,” he said. 

He added that producers had warned Congress for years that the existing system no longer meets the needs of American agriculture. “The H-2A visa program is woefully outdated, and it no longer meets the needs of American agricultural production.”

The legislation has received support from more than 400 agricultural organisations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, Western Growers and the National Milk Producers Federation. Farm groups argue that many producers struggle to recruit enough domestic workers and need a reliable legal workforce to maintain food production.

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall said labour shortages have become one of the biggest obstacles for US agriculture. “The lack of available labor is among the largest limiting factors of American agriculture. Most Americans don’t want to work on farms,” he said, adding that only 182 domestic applications were submitted for nearly 415,000 advertised agricultural jobs in 2025.

Supporters also say the bill would make the H-2A programme more affordable for farmers by limiting certain fees, creating a more predictable wage formula and expanding access to workers for sectors such as dairy and livestock farming that require year-round labour.

Opponents, however, say that allowing undocumented workers already in the country to obtain legal work status amounts to amnesty. They say the proposal weakens immigration enforcement and contradicts promises made by Republicans to crack down on illegal immigration.

The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee after its introduction in the House of Representatives. Lawmakers must approve it in both the House and the Senate before it can reach President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature, reported Farm Bureau.

Its future remains uncertain because immigration has become one of the most politically sensitive issues in Washington. Even if the broader reforms to the H-2A programme receive bipartisan support, the provisions covering undocumented farm workers are expected to face intense scrutiny during the legislative process.