The Edge January/February 2026

“They’re only here for a certain time period. We let you know if they left early. We let you know when they come in. You guys do a background check. You start explaining every single step that we take, that they’ve been vetted more than most of our American workers, that they want to come here, that they want to go home.” – Nick Brummel, ambassador for Landscape Workshop

H-2B program is to tell your story. Share specific instances of what happens to your company when you don’t receive your visas. Also, communicatie the positive impact H-2B workers have when they arrive drives home to legislators the effect the program has on their constituents. “Nobody knows your story quite like you do, and your members of Congress and the regulatory departments, they need to hear your story and how it impacts your business, day to day, day in and day out,” Stratton says. Brummel encourages participating in the NALP fly-ins, as these serve as a time to build rapport with representatives. “A lot of our elected officials who have been there for years know who we are,” Brummel says. “They know our faces. They understand the issue, and we just got to wait for the right time, but we have to stay in front of them and keep going, and when the right time hits, hopefully we can get change.” Stratton acknowledges that it’s easy to think you’re just one voice, but if you don’t take the time to share your story, no one else will. “You don’t have to be an expert, you don’t have to have all of the legal knowl edge,” Stratton says. “You just need to start and talk about how this is impact ing you.” Brummel says advocacy is no different from attaining new business. You have to get to know your elected officials and talk to them regularly. He says it’s also

sume H-2B workers are paid lower wages or are being exploited. “You start educating them, like ‘Hey, you guys set the wage,’” Brummel says. “They’re only here for a certain time period. We let you know if they left early. We let you know when they come in. You guys do a background check. You start explaining every single step that we take, that they’ve been vetted more than most of our American workers, that they want to come here, that they want to go home.” Brummel also shares with lawmakers how their H-2B workers spend their checks on Christmas presents to take back home with them, putting money back into the economy. He says this is when it starts clicking and represen tatives begin to understand it’s not an immigration issue. Another misconception is that teenagers can easily fill these roles. Stratton argues that often labor laws and insurance restrictions prevent them from hiring high schoolers. Also, they are unable to hold the roles for the entirety of the season. “Those are some of the misconcep tions that are important to help to break down when you’re meeting with your legislators,” Stratton says. EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY STRATEGIES One of the best ways to advocate for the

H-2B program is that it is ‘taking jobs from Americans.’ “That is not the case at all,” Stratton says. “We’ve got to advertise, we’ve got to get out, and we’ve got to take every step that we can to hire locally. Frankly, it’s an expensive program for us to be involved in, and it comes at a great cost. If we could get local workers, we would.” Additionally, data shows that each H-2B visa holder a company employs supports between 2.7 and 4.5 U.S. do mestic jobs in that company. “When you have more H-2B workers, it means you can hire more domestic workers,” Bray says. “Because you’re growing your business, you can hire another marketing person. You have to hire another accountant, and also you’re going to buy more equipment. You’re actually benefiting the economy, both up and down the logistical channels.” Another challenge is how H-2B often gets lumped in as an immigration matter, despite the workers utilizing temporary visas. “Help people understand these workers are here legally,” Bray says. “They want to work. They don’t want to live here. They want to work for an honest wage and then return to their country, and they have tremendous economic value to their community and to their businesses.” Brummel says lawmakers often as

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