Rep. Laurel Lee Secures Critical Win for Florida Farmers Amid Shutdown

TAMPA, FL -Congresswoman Laurel Lee announced a major victory for Florida's agricultural community after working closely with President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, to ensure the Department of Labor's Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) reinstated furloughed employees to process H-2A agricultural visa applications-a critical step to protect Florida's harvest during the government shutdown.

After weeks of active engagement between Rep. Lee's office, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer, and Florida's leading agricultural associations, the OFLC has officially resumed processing H-2A applications, ensuring Florida producers can secure the labor needed for this season's harvest.

"Florida's farmers feed America, and I will never stop fighting to ensure they have the workforce and stability they need to get crops out of the ground and onto our tables," said Rep. Laurel Lee. "Food security is national security. Thanks to the decisive leadership of President Trump and the swift action of Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, we delivered a commonsense solution that will keep America's food supply strong during this shutdown."

The H-2A program provides temporary visas for foreign agricultural workers to fill seasonal jobs when domestic labor is unavailable. In Florida, roughly 50,000 H-2A workers are employed each year to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops like tomatoes, strawberries, bell peppers, leafy greens, citrus, and other winter produce. During the shutdown, furloughed DOL employees left visa applications unprocessed-putting entire harvests and food supply chains at risk.

"The Florida Strawberry Growers Association applauds Congresswoman Laurel Lee and her team for their leadership in ensuring the reopening of the Federal H-2A guestworker program," said the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. "Their swift action helped secure the essential supply of farmworkers our industry depends on. We are especially grateful to Rep. Lee for meeting directly with our growers and recognizing the critical importance of maintaining a reliable workforce for Florida's strawberry industry."

According to industry estimates, 150 million Americans rely on Florida-grown commodities each year. This development will help ensure a stable food supply for families nationwide while safeguarding one of Florida's largest industries-an $8 billion economic engine supporting thousands of jobs across rural communities.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reopened 2,100 Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices and authorized $3 billion in emergency funding to support agricultural producers nationwide. This action follows urgent outreach from agricultural leaders, including the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA), who warned of severe labor shortages as the winter harvest approached.