# H-2A Program Sparks Debate in California's Farming Communities

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-the-california-report-45411/h-2a-program-sparks-debate-in-california-s-farming-communities
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-the-california-report-45411/h-2a-program-sparks-debate-in-california-s-farming-communities.md
Podcast: [KQED's The California Report](https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-the-california-report-45411)
Published: 2026-05-05T14:18:00+00:00
Episode link: https://next.kqed.org/news/12082367
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC9755637385.mp3?updated=1777990879
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/kqed-s-the-california-report-45411/episodes/h-2a-program-sparks-debate-in-california-s-farming-communities
Duration seconds: 615

## Resource

A major change to a federal farmworker visa program known as H-2A is sparking a heated debate across California. The program allows farms to bring in temporary workers from other countries, but a change from the Trump administration has altered how they are paid, sparking a lawsuit from the United Farmworkers Union. Supporters say it’s a lifeline for farmers facing rising labor costs. Critics call it a wage cut that could push local workers out of the fields. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report A man who was shot multiple times by immigration agents last month in the Central California community of Patterson pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges. San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney is trying again to expand drug-free housing for people leaving homelessness, after Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar bill last year. A bill moving through the California legislature would require independent evaluations of new education programs, like transitional kindergarten. Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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