...It was challenging to convince Mario to see me. He was afraid. Making his story public would endanger his family in Mexico. He asked me to omit some details about his place of origin and not to publish his real name. In return, I would interview Mario and Diego, his best friend. These are not their real names but ones our team decided to use. During the months of this investigation, we always called them Diego and Mario, even in our files and internal meetings…

As part of the H-2A visa rules, employers must provide their workers with food and lodging in addition to paying their wages. When Diego and Mario arrived at the farm where they would work in North Carolina, company employees settled them in an abandoned house with tick-ridden mattresses. They stole their wages and threatened to confiscate their passports…

…In the United States, workers with H-2A visas can only work for the companies that recruited them. If they escape or resign, they lose their legal status. Diego and Mario did not have a support network in the United States or money and became undocumented. They were desperate…