When the Law Fails Farmworkers: J-1 Visa Exploitation, Labor Trafficking, and the Hidden Cost of Cheap Meat

When the Law Fails Farmworkers: J-1 Visa Exploitation, Labor Trafficking, and the Hidden Cost of Cheap Meat

From Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation by Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan

May 29, 2026 · 58 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the exploitation of farmworkers on J-1 visas through a landmark lawsuit.

In this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, host Mariann Sullivan speaks with Amal Bouhabib, senior staff attorney at FarmSTAND, about a landmark federal lawsuit involving three young men from Guatemala who were recruited to the U.S. on J-1 cultural exchange visas and subjected to dangerous working conditions, fraudulent promises, substandard housing, and coercive threats at an industrial swine operation in…

People in this episode

Host: Mariann Sullivan

Guest: Amal Bouhabib

Topics covered

  • labor rights
  • farmworker exploitation
  • animal rights
  • legal issues
  • J-1 visa
  • food industry

Keywords

  • J-1 visa
  • labor trafficking
  • farmworker rights
  • animal law
  • cheap meat
  • exploitation
  • Guatemala

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FarmSTAND

Places: Guatemala, U.S.

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