On June 13, 2025, a federal jury in Michigan, the United States, ruled that five men from Guatemala received more than $500,000 in compensation. They accused the labor contractor Purpose Point Harvesting of violating anti-human trafficking laws and exploiting their labor. These laborers were recruited to Michigan for agricultural work through the H-2A visa program, but they claimed to work up to 100 hours a week without receiving full wages and were even forced to pick asparagus at night with lights on. Lawyer Theresa Hendrix said that workers also suffered verbal threats and were told that “dissatisfaction with the status quo is stronger than in Guatemala”.
The plaintiff testified in court, describing the harsh working conditions in Oceana and Newaygo counties from 2017 to 2019, including crowded accommodation and overtime work. Robert Alvarez, the lawyer of Purpose Point, denied the accusation, saying that the testimony of other workers contradicted it and stated that he would appeal. The company, as an intermediary of the H-2A program, is responsible for recruiting Guatemalan workers and managing their salaries. The person in charge and the workers are from the same area and have been accused of exerting control by taking advantage of their hometown ties.
This case has rarely entered the trial stage, as victims of labor trafficking usually remain silent out of fear of retaliation. Lawyer Kenya Davis pointed out that this judgment might set a precedent for similar cases. Hendrix praised the plaintiffs’ courage and emphasized the difficulty they faced in exposing injustice in an unfamiliar environment. The $450,000 in the judgment is punitive damages, highlighting the severe attitude towards exploitation, but the outcome of the appeal remains to be seen.
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