H-2A farmworkers Feliciano Velasco Rojas and Luis Guzman Rojas have reached a settlement in a federal case alleging violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.
Per the terms of the agreement, the specific details of the settlement remain undisclosed and this settlement does not constitute an admission of any claim against the defendants, according to a news release from the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, which represented the farmworkers in the case along with Farmworker Legal Services, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante and Farmworker Justice.
Gonzalo Peralta, a Michigan-based immigration lawyer and senior staff attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) in Grand Rapids, Mich., says Guzman Rojas and Velasco Rojas feel relief.
“I think that they’re content that we’ve reached a resolution that’s amenable to all parties,” he says.
While Peralta notes that Guzman Rojas and Velasco Rojas no longer work in agriculture, he adds, “Going forward, they’re just trying to live their lives as best as possible and just try to put a lot of this behind them.”
Inside the Allegations
In 2023, Velasco Rojas and Guzman Rojas sued First Pick Farms, a blueberry operation in West Olive, Mich. The original lawsuit alleges Guzman Rojas, Velasco Rojas and 30 other H-2A workers were trafficked from North Carolina to First Pick Farms and worked long hours in unsafe housing. The lawsuit also alleges supervisors threatened immigration enforcement and deportation to keep the workers from complaining or leaving.
The defendants, First Pick Farms and several related corporate entities such as Grow Blue Farms and HB Hive and Co., sought to dismiss the case in two motions in late 2024. In 2025, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally J. Berens ruled that the trafficking claims by Guzman Rojas and Velasco Rojas stand.
On Jan. 2, 2026, Judge Paul Maloney of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan allowed the human trafficking and labor violation claims to proceed to the discovery phase.
Setting a Judicial Precedent for Migrant Worker Rights
Peralta says that while the case ultimately ended in a settlement, the legal protections cited in the original suit pave the way for future resolutions.
“We acknowledge that we still need stronger protections for workers in general,” he says.
Peralta says the judge’s decision is a way to continue the work of clarifying the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.
“Legislation … unfortunately, even with the best of intentions sometimes, doesn’t have all the definitions in place and doesn’t have all the potential components,” he says. “This is just another step in the judiciary taking the steps to make inroads and clarify these issues going forward so that it provides a roadmap, not only for potential workers who may face some issues with their employment but also for employers so they know how to proceed as well.”
Peralta thinks this settlement and prior judicial decisions represent a positive step forward in clarifying how to navigate future disputes of this nature.
“How proud we are to have represented these brave workers who made sure that their voices were heard,” he says. “We still need policy change that addresses labor and employment issues. We’ll continue to work with policymakers for these issues, but we’ll also continue to look for individual workers to come forward to advocate for their own rights.”
In a press release, Julia Solórzano, legal and policy director at Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, lauded Velasco Rojas and Guzman Rojas for their bravery.
“The H-2A program ties a worker’s legal status to their employer, creating a structural ‘chilling effect’ that punishes those who speak out against abuse,” she says. “We are proud to stand with Feliciano and Luis—two workers who chose to break that silence in the pursuit of justice.”
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