Dozens of congressional Republicans have signed on to legislation that would provide amnesty to illegal aliens who work in agriculture.
H.R. 9535, titled the “Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026,” is sponsored by Representative Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, and co-sponsored by 55 representatives, 49 of whom are Republicans.
If enacted, H.R. 9535 would expand the H-2A agricultural visa program to allow visa holders to work year-round rather than seasonally or temporarily. Additionally, the bill would permit illegal migrants to apply for H-2A visas, effectively granting them amnesty.
Conservatives have expressed alarm about the bill. Reports indicate that conservatives are labeling Republican-led legislation a “betrayal” of the party’s immigration agenda and mobilizing President Donald Trump’s base to derail a yearslong effort aimed at assisting farmers. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, and the House Freedom Caucus’ bloc of hard-right lawmakers are intensifying their opposition to H.R. 9535.
Thompson currently holds a 58-percent Freedom Index score, signaling poor adherence to the U.S. Constitution and America’s founding principles.
In a “Dear Colleague” letter, he stated: “With the border now secure, it is time to address these shortcomings and provide fair and legal pathways for all agriculture to obtain workers when they are unable to find U.S. citizens willing to perform these noble but arduous tasks.”
Experts have noted that while the Trump administration implemented extensive measures to combat mass migration through executive actions, such policies remain vulnerable to future shifts in governance. Before advancing amnesty proposals, Congress must enact robust legislation repealing the Hart-Celler Act and other pro-mass-migration laws established over the past 80 years.