… DIEGO AND MARIO HAD ONLY WALKED THE DIRT ROAD OUT OF THE CAMP ONCE BEFORE, AND IT WAS DURING THE DAY. IT COULD BE RISKY GETTING OUT TO THE MAIN ROAD. TWO GUYS ALONE, WHO ARE NOT FROM THERE. THEY COULD SEEM SUSPICIOUS. THEY WERE TERRIFIED…

…THEY HAD WALKED AWAY FROM THE NIGHTMARE THEY EXPERIENCED WORKING IN A US FARM AS PART OF A GOVERNMENT PROGRAM…

… IT’S THE BACKBONE OF OUR AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY AND YET THESE WORKERS WE DESPERATELY RELY ON, ARE CONSTANTLY MISTREATED…

… THERE’S A PRETTY GLARING DISPARITY BETWEEN THE PROGRAM ON PAPER AND WHAT HAPPENS IN PRACTICE…

… THE EMPLOYER HIRES A RECRUITING COMPANY OR A LABOR CONTRACTOR…

… THE NUMBER OF H-2A WORKERS HAS MORE THAN TRIPLED IN THE LAST DECADE. JUST LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 300 THOUSAND WORKERS CAME TO THE U.S. IN THIS WAY, ABOUT 90% OF THEM ARE FROM MEXICO…

… IN THEORY, WORKERS HAVE SOME PROTECTIONS AGAINST RETALIATION, BUT IN PRACTICE IF THEY COMPLAIN, THEY CAN EASILY GET FIRED. THERE’S THIS UNSPOKEN EXPECTATION OF THE WORKERS: “PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN, DO THE WORK, DON’T COMPLAIN…