Arkansas farm owner sued for alleged workers' rights violations (UALR Public Radio) - An Arkansas farm owner is being sued by four Mexican guestworkers for labor trafficking and other abuses.

The federal lawsuit alleges that Jack Odom, of Odom Farms in Austin, Arkansas, brought the guestworkers to the U.S., forced them to live in deplorable conditions, and failed to pay them for their services.

Sarah Donaldson with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid is working with Southern Migrant Legal Services as an attorney for the guestworkers. Donaldson says the workers lived and worked in a hot metal shed, they weren't allowed to leave the farm without an escort, and after confiscating their passports the farm's owner threatened to report them to immigration.

"This case also outlines a bigger problem with the guestworker program," said Donaldson. "Unlike U.S. workers, who have no problem with changing jobs when their exploited by an employer, guestworkers are tied to an employer - that's what their visa says and a lot of employers take advantage of that."

Donaldson says the case may go to trial within a year. Odom farms would not return calls for comment. For FM 89 News, I'm Malcolm Glover.
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