The Department of Justice just sent a powerful message to employers gaming the immigration system: American jobs come first. In a sharp rebuke of hiring practices that sidelined U.S. workers, a Mississippi-based labor contractor has been hit with a federal fine after investigators discovered it prioritized foreign visa holders over citizens seeking work.

The company, H2A Complete II Inc., specializes in placing foreign nationals on H-2A visas into seasonal agricultural jobs across the country. But according to the DOJ, the firm deliberately stacked the deck against American applicants—creating job requirements that made it harder for locals to qualify and instead fast-tracked foreign workers through the system.

Now, under a settlement announced this week, the company must pay a \$25,000 civil penalty, revamp its hiring practices, and eliminate excessive hurdles that discouraged U.S. citizens from applying in the first place.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, who took over the role earlier this year, issued a fiery statement about the case. “American workers seeking jobs in their own country deserve priority,” she said. “This Department of Justice will continue to protect our country’s workers from unlawful discrimination in favor of foreign nationals.”

This enforcement action comes under the DOJ’s revitalized Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, a Trump-era program designed to stop employers from favoring foreign labor at the expense of American job seekers. The Biden administration had quietly shut down the initiative in 2021, but it was reinstated shortly after Trump’s return to office in January.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who now leads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, echoed Bondi’s stance. “Protecting job opportunities for the American workforce is one of our top priorities,” she said. “Employers who manipulate the visa system to exclude citizens from the workforce are violating the law—and we will hold them accountable.”

The DOJ’s findings show that H2A Complete II used job postings with exaggerated requirements that went well beyond what was needed for the actual farm work. Officials said these were clear efforts to discourage U.S. workers from applying so that the company could bring in cheaper, more controllable foreign labor.

This isn’t the first time the agency has penalized an employer for similar behavior. According to the DOJ, it’s the second major settlement in 2025 under the rebooted initiative, signaling a clear pattern—and a broader crackdown ahead.

The H-2A visa program was originally designed to allow agricultural employers to hire temporary foreign labor when American workers weren’t available. But critics say it’s become a loophole for avoiding fair wages and accountability—especially when companies intentionally make it harder for American applicants to qualify.

The Trump administration’s return has clearly shifted the balance. Immigration enforcement and labor fairness are once again front and center in the Justice Department’s priorities. And with another high-profile victory under its belt, the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative appears poised to go after more violators in the months ahead.

For now, H2A Complete II will be required to submit to ongoing DOJ monitoring and update all job postings to comply with nondiscriminatory standards. It’s a wake-up call not just to one firm, but to an entire industry that’s long relied on foreign labor as a cost-cutting shortcut.

As Bondi put it, “The rules are simple: You don’t get to skip over your fellow Americans just because you think it’s easier or cheaper. If you do, we’re coming for you.”