Labor secretary Lori Chavez Dederemer said that the H-2a Migrant Visa program that is consolidated under its department, American farmers and farmers have access to the workforce they need, and notes that the program will now be faster and more affordable.
In an exclusive interview with Edward Lawrence from Fox Business, the secretary said that the program – which enables agricultural employers to temporarily hire foreign employees – will not be extended and will not allow an amnesty for illegal migrants.
“The program is already playing in the game and it is already in the law,” she said. “And it is something that the congress has already established that this must happen for our migrating farm workers, so that our American farmers and farmers have access to the workforce they need.”
“But the only thing that was not done was how quickly the program could be managed,” she continued and added that the farmers with whom she spoke is not sure when and where they have the workers they need and whether they have them when they need them.
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Labor secretary Lori Chavez Dederemer said that the H-2a Migrant Visa program American farmers and ranchers have access to the workforce they need. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images / Getty images)
“I wanted to make sure that this program became really holistic in what is already present, what the law is. So it’s not an amnesty program. And it’s not even a new program. It just gets better, faster and more affordable,” she added.
Chavez-Dderemer noted that the program will now be brought under the Ministry of Labor, while it is currently under the labor, domestic security and state departments.
“This will be the one-stop shop,” she said. “So the Office of Immigration Policy will be under the Department of Labor in the Secretary’s office. So we can keep an eye on it and offer caretaker service to our farmers and farmers in this country.”
The secretary emphasized that the update “is not an expansion of anything” and wants to ensure that the program that is in place works.
Labor secretary Lori Chavez Dederemer said that the Visa program will not be expanded and will not allow an amnesty for illegal migrants. (Getty Images)
When asked whether there would be enough visas for the need for agricultural workers, she said that the congress “treats the figures”, but that “we will never move the American employee.”
“We want to ensure that we have American employees there,” she said. “But if we don’t have it at the time, then we want to follow the law and help the congress. If they want, choose to change those figures, that’s up to them. But we give them the information they need from the Department of Labor.”
Chavez Dederer was also asked why she believes that the number of indigenous employees has increased with two million people and the number of employees born abroad has decreased with 543,000 employees since President Donald Trump returned to the office.
“That is precisely the president’s agenda. Focus on the American employee, ensuring that they come first, the first policy of America. This is nothing. This is nothing new. This is what he said on the campaign track. It is what he promised the American people,” she said.
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Labor secretary Lori Chavez Dederemer said that the program will now be consolidated under the Department of Labor. (Getty Images)
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The secretary has also tackled her role in a hanging implementation order in which the labor department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are assigned to offer employers and plan managers to include investments and private assets in 401 (K) plans.
“What the Biden administration did was put their thumb on the bowl and well beyond the reach of a fiduciary to determine where people want to invest their dollars,” she said. “What we did for the rule of 2022 was that went back. It is up to the Fiduciaires and anyone who wants to invest in their foreign care. If it is cryptocurrency, that is up to them. Their fiduciary is not the federal government.”
“The Biden administration really exceeded there,” the secretary continued.
