A new report finds that Maine is among the states that rely most heavily on foreign workers to fill seasonal labor demands.
The report, from New York-based Manifest Law firm, says Maine has the ninth-highest per capita demand for seasonal labor of any state in the country.
The firm based its analysis on federal data for the H-2A, H-2B, and other visa programs, which many agricultural and hospitality businesses in Maine rely on to meet seasonal demand.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, nearly 1,500 temporary farm workers were employed in Maine last year, and data from the first half of this year indicate that number is only rising.
Both this year and last year the Trump administration released nearly 65,000 extra work visas, even as it drastically limits many lawful immigration pathways.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.