Nisei Farmers League President Calls for Real Guest Worker Reform
Longtime Workers Still Face Deportation
In a powerful interview with Nick Papagni, “The Ag Meter”, Manuel Cunha, president of the Nisei Farmers League, spoke candidly about the broken state of America’s labor immigration system—particularly its impact on the people who have worked in U.S. agriculture for decades.
“The workers have been here for years, working hard, paying taxes, part of the community,” Cunha said.
He recalled a moment in the field just a day earlier, where he met an unauthorized farmworker, whose daughter is now studying medicine at UCLA. The story illustrates the sacrifices made by immigrant families and the disconnect between their contributions and their treatment under the law.
“She’s not a criminal,” Cunha emphasized. “You’re the criminal as a country because you didn’t develop the programs necessary.”
A System in Crisis
Cunha strongly criticized the government’s failure to act on labor reform, arguing that current programs like H-2A are ineffective and don’t address the needs of modern agriculture.
“You’ve kicked the can down the road too many times,” he said. “Now we’ve formed a coalition to push Congress to develop a guest worker program that works for multiple industries—not just agriculture, but restaurants, construction, and more.”
Without stable legal pathways for workers, agriculture risks losing labor to other sectors entirely.
A Call to Action
Manuel Cunha and his coalition are pushing hard for comprehensive guest worker reform—one that protects American food production while honoring the commitment and dignity of longtime immigrant workers.
Read more, and listen to Manuel Cunha’s full interview.
Reporter: Nick Papagni, “The Ag Meter” | AgNet West