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When Border Enforcement Formalize Labor: Evidence from Texas's Operation Lone Star

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  • Hernandez, Manuel
  • Gan, Li
  • Zhang, Yike

Abstract

This paper examines how intensified border enforcement affects employers’ reliance on temporary legal workers in U.S. agriculture. Using administrative data on H-2A certifications (2015-2025), we exploit the geographic concentration of a Texas state initiative that expanded immigration enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico boundary to compare border and interior counties before and after implementation. Results show a large, persistent increase in H-2A certifications in border counties relative to interior ones. Complementary analyses indicate that these increases were not accompanied by changes in agricultural activity or local economic conditions. Overall, the findings suggest increased reliance on formal guest-worker channels following reinforced border control.

Suggested Citation

  • Hernandez, Manuel & Gan, Li & Zhang, Yike, 2026. "When Border Enforcement Formalize Labor: Evidence from Texas's Operation Lone Star," 2026 Annual Meeting, July 26 - 28, 2026, Kansas City, Missouri 404371, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea26:404371
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.404371
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    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/404371/files/177476_194663_115232_Paper_OLS_and_H2A_workers_june_1_2026.pdf
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