Every year, Maryland welcomes over 30,000 migrant workers into our community. These workers include crab pickers, landscapers, foresters, teachers, nurses, physicians, camp counselors, and au pairs, among many others.

The visa program subjects workers to vulnerable conditions. Guestworkers are often connected to employers through labor recruiters and pay significant fees to secure a job in the US.  Workers’ immigration status is tied to their employer. The lack of transparency in guestworker programs means that workers sometimes don’t know what they’re signing up for — from the terms of employment to workplace conditions of their job in the United States. As a result, migrant workers in Maryland encounter economic coercion, debt bondage, and trafficking. They also face discrimination, recruitment fraud, exploitation, and unsafe housing conditions.

We are advancing an alternative vision. From now until April 2020, we will amplify the stories, voices, and experiences of migrant workers who are part of our communities. You can get to know Elisa, a former crab picker on the Eastern Shore, Oliver, a restaurant worker in Ocean City, and other workers in Maryland.

Don’t miss workers’ powerful stories — we encourage you to like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to stay connected! Together, we can craft a vision for migrant justice.