Immigrant labor harming U.S. shepherds, lawsuit says

Published



A Colorado-based Latino rights group has filed a class-action suit on behalf of native-born and immigrant shepherds alleging that the Labor Department under President Obama has set wages too low for people who mind sheep. The lawsuit demands that the department immediately cease certifying visas for shepherds to come to the U.S. until the wage rules are changed.

The lawsuit was filed last week in a Colorado federal court by the nonprofit Hispanic Affairs Project. It argues that the department has violated federal regulatory rules by not properly updating the wage floors for shepherds under the H2-A visa program, which allows foreign agricultural workers to temporarily work in the U.S.

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